Blind Soul
by BlueFoxofWater1569
Summary: Sequel to Blind SOLDIER. -DISCONTINUED- After escaping from the Shinra HQ, Zack and the rest of AVALANCHE begin to chase Sephiroth to save their friends and their world from a man who would easily take it all away…
1. Part I: Prologue

Blind Soul  
By BlueFox

**__**

DO NOT COPY MY STORIES!!

If anyone wants to post my stories anywhere else, please just ASK and then give me credit for writing it. PM with any requests.

Short Sum: Sequel to Blind SOLDIER. After escaping from the Shinra HQ, Zack and the rest of AVALANCHE begin to chase Sephiroth to save their friends and their world from a man who would easily take it all away… NO YAOI!!

Full Sum: Sequel to Blind SOLDIER. After escaping from the Shinra HQ, Zack and the rest of AVALANCHE have to chase Sephiroth, Cloud, and Aeris across all of Gaia in hopes of reclaiming their friends, and saving the world from a man who would take it all away…Contains Clerith, Aer-Seph, Zifa, and others if you squint and tilt your head to the left. NO YAOI!!

Intro: Welcome, one and all, to the continuation of Blind SOLDIER! (applause is heard in the background) Yes, yes, I'm sure we're all so very happy to be here, and a fair warning: if you haven't read Blind SOLDIER before reading this, you may find yourself scratching your head a lot. So yeah, go read that, then come back. Also, if any of you are expecting yaoi, please turn around now. You want yaoi, go read my Cleon fic over in Kingdom Hearts, or my AlFay oneshot in Star Ocean, cause you won't find yaoi here.

Anywho, you all remember the length of Blind SOLDIER, correct, about ten chapters and a Prologue. Multiply that by oh so much more (I don't know how much exactly) and you get the length of Blind Soul. Yeah, it's a pretty big project, and I plan on working on it pretty hard. So, yeah, bear with me.

Enough with this Intro! Let's get to the Prologue! Woo!

Disclaimer: …………………………

Part I  
Prologue

__

"Ja ne."

Liberi Fatali

By Nobuo Uematsu

Fithos Lusec Wecos Vinosec

Rain fell in sheets that night, striking the flesh with its cold, dissuading most from leaving their homes. But still she continued. Cloaked under the cover of night, bandages wrapped heavily around her completely healed body, all she had to do was get out and away. Out and away.

__

Fithos Lusec Wecos Vinosec  
Fithos Lusec Wecos Vinosec

Elmyra was truly a loving woman. And the redhead was absolutely touched at how much Marlene didn't want her to go. The little girl was terrified that she'd never see the older woman again. And deep in her heart, the redhead knew it was true. She knew how much time she had left.

She had seen her own death.

And in all honesty, she was terrified about it. Absolutely terrified about the life after death thing she had been told about in her dreams. Not only that, but her friends were here, and she was presumed dead to them. She couldn't let them see her alive and breathing.

Not yet, at least.

__

Excitate vos e somno, liberi mei  
Cunae sunt non  
Excitate vis e somno, liberi fatali  
Somnus est non

With quick, methodical steps, she stole away that night, ahead of AVALANCHE, ahead of the other three, alone. She had been so close, so close in Shinra HQ, she found it funny that the silver-haired General himself didn't even recognize her power shrouding Cloud and protecting him. It was very funny, in fact, and she couldn't help smiling at the thought.

Lightning crashed not too far from her and she sighed, feeling the electricity shoot into her body. She loved thunderstorms, loved lightning, loved how the rain danced with the wind. When she had been younger, she had absolutely loved running out and dancing in it. Tempting as that was now, she knew she couldn't. It would waste too much of her time. Enough for Sephiroth and his entourage to catch up to her.

That was the last thing she would need.

So, with a final look behind her, she waved. "Ja ne," she parted with the town of Kalm, before turning and running into the darkness.

__

Surgite  
Inventite  
Veni hortum veritatis  
Horti verna veritatis

In her dreams, Aeris danced with lightning bolts and swords.

Now was _not _the time to suddenly drop everything and dance around. _He _had found her. After rescuing her and helping her, she had attempted to leave Kalm, and he had given chase.

Their swords connected-black and blood red-and in the flash of sparks that erupted, two shades of red hair glowed.

__

Ardente veritate  
Urite mala mundi  
Ardente veritate  
Incendite tenebras mundi

I don't wield a sword,

Aeris murmured in the dream world as she slept. _This isn't me. This is…_

Tiffania.

* * *

Tiffania spun away from the sharp edge of her opponent's blade as it came down at her and parried it with her own weapon. How had he _known_ that she would run? How had he _known_?

_Of course. Just the way he _knows_ things,_ she answered herself, then swore as his sword bit deep into the top of her shoulder. Blood seeped out and he took a few steps back. He had won. He had drawn first blood.

_Valete, liberi  
Diebus fatalibus_

It was surprising, actually, how he suddenly let her go. She only stood there on the other side of the Marshes, well away from the Zoloms that lurked within, and he had dropped her off there. She didn't understand why he did that, what the reason was. Did he know something she didn't?

She shook her head. Her Silent Rescuer/Rival. She didn't even know his name, had never seen him before in her life, yet he had been the one to dig up her broken body and take her away from the brink of death. He was an enigma, coming and going as he pleased, and always with the same parting words.

" 'Nothing shall fortell my return. Even if the morrow is barren of promises.' "

Shaking her head, she squeezed as much excess water off it as she could before entering the Mythril Mine.

_Fithos Lusec Wecos Vinosec  
Fithos Lusec Wecos Vinosec  
Fithos Lusec Wecos Vinosec  
Fithos Lusec Wecos Vinosec_

_

* * *

_

End: What a twist! Aha, half of you probably thought Tiffania was dead, crushed, buried under tons of debris! HAHA, fooled ya! And I'm sure you can guess who her Silent Rescuer/Rival is, hmm? Or, at least, his fangirls will. Seeing as he ended up being alive in DoC, I rolled with it. Expect him to have few more appearances throughout this fic, that should make you happy.

Also, I've just put up two other fics today, Our Solemn Hour in FF8, and Whisper in FFX-Overs (it's an FF7/8). Please go check them out and tell me how they are!

Some things to look forward to in the next chapter: Zack relives the Nibelheim Incident. According to the script, it's a pretty long chapter, but depending on the amount of pages on my Word program, I might start the journey for Sephiroth, Aeris, and Cloud up until they encounter the Zolom. So yeah, be ready for that.

Review you worm babies you! :D


	2. Part I: Chapter One

Blind Soul  
By BlueFox

**__**

DO NOT COPY MY STORIES!!

If anyone wants to post my stories anywhere else, please just ASK and then give me credit for writing it. PM with any requests.

Intro: Welcome back, everyone. ARGH! I didn't get to update this on the day I had planned. December 20. Apparently, there was supposed to be this huge snow storm that was going to hit us, and so my parents canceled their trip out of town, giving me no chance to get onto the computer to update this and my other fics! Makes me SO mad. I feel like you've all been cheated, so, to make up for it, I'm updating twice now. Hopefully you are happy with that.

And finally, to the anonymous reviewer, 'wow', thanks for my first-ever flame! Ever! Of course, like others, you went for the 'OC being a Mary Sue' thing, and honestly, I got a good laugh at it. Currently, the flame's being used to create a campfire for Axel, since he's a bit short on supply. Thank you, though, and I look forward to more laughs!

So, for now, enjoy. I've rewritten a lot of this chapter to fit the Crisis Core (Japanese) script as well as parts of the original Final Fantasy VII script. Enjoy, my friends!

Disclaimer: ………………………

Part I  
Chapter One

__

"We don't have time for a Q & A."

" 'Nothing shall fortell my return. Even if the morrow is barren of promises.' "

Shaking her head, she squeezed as much excess water off it as she could before entering the Mythril Mine.

-.-.-

Sunlight tentatively poked through the curtains of the Inn at Kalm and slowly creeped into the room, its target already predetermined as it slowly climbed up the mangled mess of the sheets to the black-haired man sleeping who was snoring ever so slightly. And then, when it was close enough, it pounced.

"YO ZACK!"

The loud bellow was (surprisingly) enough to jostle the ex-SOLDIER into a sitting position, his body tensed, but his eyes still half-lidded. If the sunlight could, it would have growled. "Wassamatter?" Zack asked as he rubbed his eyes then ran a hand through his spikes. He stretched, popping his back as he looked over at the burly gunman who was staring at him with a fixed gaze and rubbing his gun arm. Tifa emerged from the bathroom, her hair thoroughly brushed and her eyes a lot brighter than the night before. Red XIII was curled up in a small patch of sun that was on the floor by Zack's bed.

"Did I miss something?" The black haired man scratched his head.

Barret fixed him with a level gaze. "So let's hear your story……" he spoke softly. Zack raised an eyebrow and cocked his head, a little confused. Tifa in the corner shifted uneasily on her feet, but the motion went unnoticed by the other three. "You know, the one about Sephiroth and the crisis facing the planet. Let's hear it all."

Zack sighed and got to his feet. "Let me get dressed first," he said, grabbing his things and heading to the bathroom Tifa had just vacated. A few moments later, he came out and sat down heavily on his bed. "You sure you wanna know?" he asked Barret and Red XIII; Tifa already knew who Sephiroth was and what he was capable of, but instead of leaving she decided to stay and hear Zack out. Barret and Red XIII nodded, and Zack sighed again. "Sephiroth was this…unattainable man. Nobody could befriend him or anything, right? But after being on a few missions with him, we became friends."

Barret snorted. "You call that a friend?"

Zack shrugged. "He's older than me, and he hardly ever talked about himself. So I guess you'd call him a war buddy," Zack's voice trailed off to a murmur, "we trusted each other. Until one day…" He glanced over and caught Tifa's eye for a brief moment before continuing. "After the war it was SOLDIER's duty to put down any resistance against the Shinra. That was 5 years ago. I was 18…"

FLASHBACK

__

Zack looked out of the back of the truck, glancing around before shaking his head. "Sure is raining hard," he mused, turning back to the others in the back. Sephiroth sat alone to his right, a trooper sat against the wall in front of him, and Cloud in his trooper uniform sat on his left. He was panting and his uniform was slick with sweat as he kept his head in between his knees, trying to keep his lunch down. Zack gave him a sympathetic smile and went to him, crossing his arms and staring at him until the blond finally looked up. Zack grinned and chuckled a bit. "Hey Cloud," he greeted with a little nod that his friend faintly returned before swaying and grabbing onto Zack's leg as if to stop him from toppling over. Zack grinned and kneeled down. "If you're feeling sick, why don't you take that mask off?" He tapped the mask that covered Cloud's face.

With a slight nod, Cloud reached up, and with a little difficulty due to his situation, he pulled the mask off, and breathed a slight sigh of relief. Zack saw that his face was paler than usual and slick with sweat, as were his spikes (which were still standing up), but it didn't stop him from reaching over and ruffling them good-naturedly. Cloud glared at him from the side-he hated it when Zack did that. "Sorry about how you feel, bud," he empathized, before standing as Cloud leaned back against the truck's wall, trying to think of anything else but what he had for breakfast that morning. It wasn't very long before he had managed to fall asleep. Zack sighed and stood up. "I wouldn't know… I've never had motion sickness." He looked over at the other trooper. "Hey, everything okay?" he asked, and the other trooper nodded.

"Hey." Zack jumped a little, startled that Sephiroth had talked after being so quiet the entire ride. He looked over at the silver-haired man, who gave him a vacant look from underneath his platinum bangs. "Settle down."

Zack, being Zack, just couldn't settle down. He began to do squats, which only earned him an eye roll from Sephiroth. Zack smiled widely. "They gave me some new materia. I can't wait to use it." He thought he heard Sephiroth mutter, "Just like a kid," under his breath and saw a faint smile tug at his friend's lips, and that was enough to make him stop. He put his hand on his hips. "You gonna brief us on the mission?" he asked his superior.

"…This isn't a typical mission," Sephiroth told him.

"Good!"

Sephiroth gave him a furtively curious look. "Why do you say that?" he asked.

Zack smiled wide. "No reason."

Sephiroth shook his head again. "I thought you wanted a briefing?" he asked, and suddenly Zack was all business. "Our mission is to investigate an old Mako reactor. There have been reports of it malfunctioning, and producing brutal creatures. Then, we'll locate the problem and neutralize it."

Cloud stirred slightly; obviously he hadn't been that far under. "Brutal creatures… Where?"

"The Mako Reactor at Nibelheim."

Cloud bent his head to stare at the mask in his lap. "Nibelheim…that's where I'm from," he murmured.

"Hmm…hometown…" Sephiroth mused.

Suddenly, the truck violently lurched and Zack stumbled and fell gracelessly onto his back as Cloud smacked his head on the enclosed wall and turned a whole new shade of green before putting his head in between his legs. Sephiroth remained calm as he asked the driver what had been responsible for the truck's movement. The driver was visibly shaking as he looked back at Sephiroth. "Sir," he began shakily. "…S-Something strange just crashed into our truck!"

With a sigh, Sephiroth stood and brushed his arms. "That would be our monster…" he mumbled, nudging the groaning Zack as he turned to the exit of the truck. Zack slowly rolled over and got up, taking hold of the Buster Sword and stumbling out to assist Sephiroth.

END FLASHBACK

Zack ran his hand over his eyes. "Sephiroth's strength is unreal. He is far stronger in reality then any story you might have heard about him."

Red XIII flicked his tail and tilted his head a bit. "So where do you come in?"

Zack's violet gaze flickered to the beast before back to the spot on the floor he had been staring at as he had told them his story. "Me? I was a bit distracted about how Cloud was faring, so I didn't fight all that much. Then, we reached Nibelheim."

FLASHBACK

__

Sephiroth turned to Cloud from the entrance to Nibelheim. "It's been a while since you've been back to your hometown right?" he asked. "How does it feel? I don't have a hometown of my own so I wouldn't know…"

Zack scratched his head as Cloud meekly ducked away. "Eh. What about your parents?" the SOLDIER asked.

Sephiroth turned his eyes to his friend. "My mother's name is Jenova. She died right after she gave birth to me and my father…" He began to laugh. "He he ha ha. What am I talking about…? Well let's go."

With that, he turned and started to walk into Nibelheim. Zack braced his hands on his hips. "Your mother's name is Jenova? Hmm?"

END FLASHBACK

"Yo wait a minute!!" Barret rudely interrupted. "Isn't that, um…? The name of Sephiroth's mother… I remember Jenova. That's that damn headless spook livin' in the Shinra building."

Zack nodded. "Yeah, you're right."

Tifa huffed and narrowed her eyes at Barret. "Barret, would you please let us hear what Zack has to say? You can ask questions later," she scolded.

Barret gave her a wounded dog look. "Tifa, I was only……" he began, but quieted as Tifa gestured for Zack to continue, which he did.

"…The town was quiet. Everybody must be staying in their houses, afraid to come out because of the monsters. No, maybe they were afraid of us…"

FLASHBACK

__

"Are you the SOLDIERs sent here to do an investigation?" asked Tifa, meekly looking at Sephiroth, but her eyes boldly locked with Zack's.

Zack grinned at her forwardness. "Yeah. I'm Zack of SOLDIER, 1st Class," he told her proudly.

Tifa nodded slowly, chewing on a lock of her hair as she looked down. "Hmm."

"Hmm?"

"Are there a lot of SOLDIER 1st Classes?" she finally asked him.

Zack shook his head. "Really only a few," he told her.

Her shoulders slumped and she looked suddenly dejected. "Is it only you two?" she asked, a little bit of hope shining in her eyes for some unknown reason. It puzzled Zack.

"Yeah. Only me and Sephiroth." He clapped Sephiroth on the shoulder and received a cold sidelong glare as a result.

Tifa's eyes dimmed. "I see," she mumbled, bowed in thanks, and turned and ran.

Zack shook his head. "What a weird kid."

END FLASHBACK

Zack drifted off, looking at Tifa, who had her head bowed, her eyes shadowed by her hair. "You okay, Tifa?" he asked.

"It's funny," she mumbled, looking at him. "Cloud was there the entire time, and I was too stupid to talk to the troopers who had come with you. It would have been great to see him again." She took a deep breath and smiled at Zack. "Keep going. I'd like to hear more."

Zack hesitated, but when she gave him an impatient look, he nodded. "If you're sure…"

FLASHBACK

__

"Tifa! You're the guide?!" Zack was surprised when he saw her the next morning for their mission.

She looked at him and smiled widely. "That's right," she told him, giggling a little at his face. "You know that I'm the best guide in this village."

Zack looked exasperated. "But, it's going to be dangerous! You shouldn't be involved in something like this!"

Sephiroth gave him a cool, leveled look. "It will be fine if you protect her," he told Zack, who turned his exasperated face to his friend, then back to Tifa.

"Go back. You might end up being eaten. Or at the very least you might faint," he told her. Tifa gave him a skeptical look, then pointedly looked at the Buster Sword on his back. He followed her gaze and shook his head vehemently. "If I use it, it'll get dirty, broken, and worn down." She narrowed her eyes and huffed at him, and he sheepishly scratched the back of his head. After they took their picture, they were off.

****

At the Bridge…

Tifa ran on ahead. "It gets harder from here! Follow me!" she called, and ran further on. Zack, Sephiroth, Cloud, and the other trooper followed behind her. Suddenly, Tifa stopped and turned to them. "Uh, the bridge!"

With that statement, the bridge snapped from the same place they had come from. Cloud managed to grab ahold of part of the rope, preventing his fall, the other trooper had no such luck and fell to his death. Sephiroth held onto a sturdy looking plank, and Zack copied Cloud by grabbing onto the rope and also grabbing Tifa's hand, keeping her from following the trooper down. However, the bridge decided that it had had enough and snapped on the other side and everyone fell. Sephiroth and Cloud ended up in the same area, as Tifa and Zack ended up in a new area, but together. Zack healed some of Tifa's worst wounds, and just as he started on his own, Sephiroth came from around the bend, Cloud following a few steps behind him.

"Everyone seems to be all right," the General said as he looked at the other three before finally settling his eyes on Tifa. "Can we get back to where we were?"

Tifa slowly shook her head, and he looked displeased. She took a step back and hurriedly explained, "These caves are intertwined, just like an ant farm…" Sephiroth sighed after that statement and walked farther down the path. "Oh, and Sephiroth…" He paused and looked back at her. "There seems to be one person missing…"

"It may sound cold, but we've got no time to search for him," he told her. She looked about ready to protest, but then he cut her off, fully turning to her. "We can't go back now, so we must go on. We'll travel together from here." With that, he turned and continued farther on, Zack, Tifa, and Cloud following behind.

****

Inside the Mountain…

Zack's face went into childlike awe as he looked around him. "What's this?" he asked in awe, looking around.

Tifa looked awed as well-she hadn't been this far below before. "A mysteriously colored cave…" she mumbled.

Sephiroth, as usual, looked indifferent. "It must be the Mako energy," he guessed. "This fountain is especially abundant in it. That's why the Mako Reactor was built here." Zack walked further in, coming to what looked like a stalagmite, glowing like his eyes were.

"And what's this?" he asked, reaching out to touch it.

Sephiroth suddenly appeared at his side and smacked Zack's hand away. "A Mako fountain. It's a miracle of nature," he told the younger man, who shrugged a little in apology.

Tifa came over, but Cloud stayed rooted to his spot, just keeping his eye on Tifa. Tifa, oblivious to him, looked closer and smiled. "It's so beautiful…" she awed, but then her face darkened. "If the Mako Reactor continues to suck up the energy, this fountain will dry up too…"

"Materia," he told her. "When you condense Mako energy, materia is produced. It's very rare to be able to see materia in its natural state."

Zack gazed sidelong at Sephiroth. "By the way… Why is it that when you use materia you can also use magic too?"

Sephiroth gave him a slightly surprised and miffed look. "You were in SOLDIER and didn't even know that?" he asked, incredulously. Zack gave him a sheepish smile that just said, 'What did you think?' Sephiroth shook his head. "…The knowledge and wisdom of the Ancients is held in the materia. Anyone with this knowledge can freely use the powers of the Land and the Planet. That knowledge interacts between ourselves and the planet calling up magic……or so they say."

Zack nodded and looked at the Mako fountain. "Magic…A mysterious power," he mumbled, and Sephiroth started to chuckle. Zack gave him a confused look. "Did I say something funny?"

"A man once told me never to use an unscientific term such as mysterious power! It shouldn't even be called 'magic'! I still remember how angry he was," the silver haired man laughed.

Zack's brows furrowed. "Who was that?"

Sephiroth shook his head again. "Hojo of Shinra, Inc.," he added the Shinra, Inc. part for Tifa's benefit. "… An inexperienced man assigned to take over the work of a great scientist. He was a walking mass of complexes."

"A Mako fountain… So this is where the knowledge of the Ancients is," Tifa mumbled, though Zack got the impression that she had no idea what she was talking about.

****

Later, at the Reactor…

"We finally made it. We sure took the long way through," Tifa said, stretching a bit and letting her muscles pop.

"Tifa, you wait here," Zack ordered, and she threw him a shocked look.

"I want to go inside too!" she argued. Then she looked at Sephiroth. "I wanna see!"

Sephiroth shook his head at her. "This area is restricted to the general public. The complex is full of Shinra industrial secrets."

"But!" She stomped her foot.

Sephiroth looked at Cloud, who was still in his mask, kinda hanging out to the side. "Take care of the lady," he told him, and Cloud nodded. Sephiroth and Zack ascended the stairs to the Reactor, and when Tifa made to follow them, Cloud stepped in front of the stairs and held her away at arm's length.

Tifa ground her teeth and turned away, her arms crossed. "Mm, man!" she fumed to herself, before sending a glare over her shoulder at Cloud. "Better take real good care of me then!" she yelled.

****

Inside the Reactor…

Zack looked up at the door at the top of the stairs as Sephiroth began searching for the problems in the reactor. "JENOVA." He headed up the stairs in curiosity. "That's weird." He tried the door, but it wouldn't open. "The lock won't open…" And then suddenly, it clicked in his brain. "Jenova?!" He jumped away from the door as if he had been burned.

"So these are the cause of the operation's abnormality," Sephiroth said loud enough for Zack to hear. The black-haired SOLDIER looked at him. "This part seems to be broken." Sephiroth raised a hand and beckoned to Zack. "Zack, open the valve please. Why is it broken?" He stepped over to another row of pods and Zack twisted the valve until it was open. That's when he stood and looked over, seeing Sephiroth look into another pod, then step back with a slightly amused look. "…now I see, Hojo. But, even doing this, will never put you on the same level as Professor Gast." He gestured for Zack to come over, which he did. Sephiroth finally gazed at him. "This is a system that condenses and freezes the Mako energy…that is, when it's working correctly. Now…what does Mako energy became when it's further condensed?"

Zack crossed his arms and tapped his foot. They had just discussed this earlier… "Uh, ummm……" Sephiroth gave him an embarrassed look as Zack bent his head, and it disappeared as Zack looked up. "Oh yeah! It becomes a materia."

Sephiroth smiled a little in relief. "Right, normally. But Hojo put something else in there. …Take a look. Look through the window."

Zack lifted himself onto his toes to look inside the pod's window, only to see a Medusa looking thing on the inside. He gave a yelp and stumbled back, falling onto his butt slightly. "Th-This is?!" He gave Sephiroth a wide-eyed look.

"Normal SOLDIER are humans who have been showered in mako," the General explained. "You're different from regular people but even still you are human. Although, what are these? Compared to regular SOLDIERs like you there's a much higher concentration of mako in these ones."

Zack stood and shook his head. "These are…monsters," he mumbled.

Sephiroth nodded. "That's right. Hojo of the Shinra Company is the one who created these monsters. By using mako energy he created these unnatural living monsters."

Zack's brows furrowed. "A normal SOLDIER? Aren't you one?" Sephiroth started to tremble slightly and he grabbed his head. "Hey Sephiroth!" Zack cried out in surprise, his eyes widening.

Sephiroth started to shake his head in wonder, his eyes wide in torment. "It can't be…I'm also…? Was I also created the same way? Are you trying to say I'm the same as a monster…?" he mumbled brokenly, before unsheathing Masamune and shoving Zack away, then attacking the pods in a fit of rage.

"Seph…" Zack mumbled, but Sephiroth's highly trained ears heard it and he spun to Zack, his eyes wide, nostrils flaring.

"You saw it! All of them…were humans…" he told Zack, his voice shockingly soft compared to his face.

Zack shook his head hard. "Humans!? No way!" he argued.

Sephiroth shrieked and spun away from him, placing a hand weakly on the gash riddled pod in front of him. "Ever since my childhood I could feel it. I was different than other people. I always thought I had some kind of special purpose. But, I didn't think it would be something like this. Am I even human?"

"Unfortunately… No. You are a monster." Genesis appeared at the top of the stairs and shot out two Fire2 spells, one at Zack, one at Sephiroth. Sephiroth blocked his, but Zack was hit and knocked down by it. Genesis looked at Sephiroth. "Sephiroth. You were born out of the Jenova Project; the greatest monster of all."

"Genesis!" Zack growled, glowing violet eyes narrowed to a glare as he got to his feet. "So you were alive after all."

"In my current condition can you even say that I am?" he asked the black-haired man, before Sephiroth drew his attention back to him.

"What does the Jenova Project have to do with me?" he asked.

"The Jenova Project--the general name for the experiment. The experiment that used Jenova's cells," Genesis explained calmly.

"Using mother's cells…?" Sephiroth questioned, and Genesis laughed.

"Pitiful Sephiroth…You've never meet your mother and the only thing you ever heard was her name right? I have no idea what she looks like, but what I do know is…" Before he could continue, Zack cut him off.

"Genesis stop it already!"

But he continued on, heedless. "Jenova is…a stratum discovered over 2000 years ago. A monster." He spread his arms. "Sephiroth lend me your strength. Otherwise my deterioration won't stop. SOLDIER 1st Class Sephiroth! Angeal was born out of Jenova Project G. Just like me born a monster. Jenova Project S was…"

"S…?" Zack glanced at Sephiroth, taking a guess, and his guess was right.

"Was a project created to make the perfect monster," Genesis concluded, looking directly at Sephiroth.

Sephiroth hesitated only a second. "What is there I can do?" he asked Genesis, who smiled in slight triumph.

"You have no power to create clones. Nor does the gene spread. In other words the deterioration won't happen. Lend me your cells. 'Your desire. The Goddess's Gift shall foster a life,' " Genesis told him.

"Are you trying to confuse me with everything you've just said…? Or is it, what I have been looking for is the 'truth'…?" He was quiet only a moment, thinking. "Which ever it may be. Go decay," Sephiroth spat in disgust, before turning and walking away.

Genesis only smiled wider, dropping his arms. "I understand. It's to be expected of a perfect monster," he told the other SOLDIER, before following Sephiroth, but not before a parting word. " 'The end of the world is brought by the duel of the beasts. The Goddess shall fall from the darkest sky. Spreading her wings of light and darkness, she shall lead us to our paradise, along with her gift.' "

Zack turned to give chase to the others, shouting "Wait!" after their retreating backs.

END FLASHBACK

"Damn, Shinra! The more I hear, the more I hate 'em!" Barret yelled as Zack took a pause to get some water.

Tifa shuffled her feet a little. "……who would have ever thought the Mako Reactor held a secret like that?" she mumbled.

Red XIII sat up and scratched at his ear for a few seconds before settling back down. "That would seem to explain the increase in the number of monsters recently. I think we should listen carefully to Zack. Don't you think so Barret?"

Barret nodded as Zack went back to his spot on his bed with a glass of water for him in case he needed more drinks. It was about to get to the hardest part to tell, so he wanted to be absolutely prepared for it. Barret gestured at Zack. "Keep talking," he said gruffly, anxious for Zack to keep going.

Zack nodded. "We returned to Nibelheim. Sephiroth confined himself at the inn. He didn't even try to talk to me."

Tifa looked up from the floor. She remembered this part clearly. "Then all of a sudden he just disappeared, right?" she asked.

Zack nodded. "You told me they'd found him inside the biggest building in Nibelheim."

She nodded as well. "The villagers used to call it Shinra mansion," she told the others. "Long ago, people from Shinra used to live in that mansion…"

Zack nodded and continued the story.

FLASHBACK

__

Down below the Shinra Mansion, Zack came across Sephiroth who was reading aloud from a book. His thoughts of Aeris were shoved out of his head to make room for Sephiroth as he leaned against the doorway and listened in on Sephiroth. "…an organism that was apparently dead was found in a 2000 year old geological stratum. Professor Gast named that organism, Jenova…" He flipped the page as he paced. "X Year, X Month, X Day. Jenova confirmed to be an Ancient…" His eyes scrolled further down on the paper. "X Year, X Month, X Day. Jenova Project approved. The use of Mako Reactor 1 approved for use." Sephiroth lowered his hand. "My mother's name is Jenova…Jenova Project. Is this just a coincidence?" Slowly, he raised his eyes to the ceiling. "Professor Gast…Why didn't you tell me anything? Why did you die?" He sounded lost and hurt, and when Zack stood straighter and reached his hand out to offer something, anything to his friend, Sephiroth bowed his head, shaking it. "Leave me alone," he mumbled, and Zack took his advice, dropping his hand and slowly turning to leave.

"Sephiroth didn't come out of the Shinra Mansion. He continued to read as if he were possessed by something. Not once, did the light in the basement go out…"****

One Week Later…

__

The entire town was up in flames. Buildings were collapsing into brilliant explosions of flames and sparks. Time was running out. He ran into the Inn they had been staying at, to find Sephiroth standing over a semi-conscious Cloud, laying at his feet, beaten up pretty badly.

Upon hearing his footsteps stop in the doorway, Sephiroth's eyes flashed over to Zack, standing there with his mouth hanging open slightly, a look of shock painted across his face. "Now is the time for the greeting," he murmured, before passing by the black haired man in the doorway and heading for the mountains.

Quickly Zack snapped out of his daze and ran to Cloud's side. Sky-blue eyes looked up at his friend, emotions written all over in them; confusion, fear, and most of all, betrayal.

"Z-Zack? What's going on?" he managed to get past his lips as Zack easily picked Cloud up to get him out of the Inn. The heat of the fire around them was intense, and he could hear the crash of the roof fall on top of the second floor, and the ceiling above them started to groan in protest to all of the weight.

Zack ran straight out of the Inn and turned to see it collapse entirely, just like the other buildings in Nibelheim. Glancing around, he managed to see a relatively safe spot and laid Cloud down on the ground in the 'safeguard.' He straightened and turned, shaking his head sadly.

"This is cruel," he murmured. "Sephiroth…this is just too cruel."

****

In the Reactor…

He climbed down the ladder and ran into the Reactor, only to see Tifa laying on the bottom of the stairs, nursing a large chest wound. He ran to her and kneeled at her side. "Did Sephiroth do this to you?" he asked her urgently.

Tifa growled in her throat and looked away from Zack in utter detest. Zack blinked, shocked, before standing straight and stepping around her and starting up the stairs to the JENOVA chamber. Halfway up, he heard Tifa speak to him. "I hate it. Shinra, SOLDIER, you, I hate it all!" she screamed, and Zack closed his eyes, feeling her pain, before walking up the rest of the stairs and unsheathing the Buster Sword, slamming the blade into the door, smacking it wide open.

Inside, he found Sephiroth in front of the tube holding Jenova, gently rubbing his hand along it, muttering, "Mother let's take this planet back together. I've thought of a very good plan. Let's go to the Promised Land together. Mother."

Zack walked up behind him and held the Buster Sword at Sephiroth's neck, his face screwed tight in anger, trepidation, and betrayal. "Sephiroth!! Why did you kill the villagers? Why did you hurt Tifa? Answer me Sephiroth!" he yelled, feeling tears sting his eyes, but he quickly blinked them away as Sephiroth began to laugh.

"Mother those people have shown up again," he murmured, not even looking back at Zack. "With mother's strength and knowledge she should have been this planet's ruler. But those people…those people who took everything. The planet was taken from mother wasn't it?" His fists clenched and Zack's grip tightened on his Buster Sword. How could Sephiroth do this? How?! "But, don't be sad anymore mother. Let's go together…" Unafraid of the Buster Sword beside him, Sephiroth reached up and ripped the angel-looking cover from the tube that held within it a silver haired woman looking thing. Sephiroth smiled widely, in full glee. "Finally we meet mother…"

"Sephiroth!" Zack couldn't believe what was going on. He lowered his blade. "What's gotten into you…?! Sephiroth I trusted you…" And suddenly, the almost silent whiz of Masamune's blade assaulted his ears and he automatically reached up to block it, and was blown to the bottom floor of the Reactor, where Tifa was. If anything, Zack had to protect her, to show her that not all of SOLDIER was bad…

And so he fought Sephiroth, hoping to break through to his friend, and to show Tifa he wasn't a bad guy. It wasn't long before Zack and Sephiroth stood at opposite ends of one of the many wide pipe-looking things above them in the Reactor.

"No. You're no longer the Sephiroth I once knew," Zack accused as he felt the blood run down his right arm from his shoulder wound. He was breathing heavily, trying to keep up with the General, who was unharmed and not even winded.

"I am the chosen one," he told the black-haired man. "The chosen one to rule over this planet."

It wasn't long later that Zack was easily tossed aside and lay limply on one of the branching walkways to the JENOVA chamber. His sword was out of reach, so he couldn't defend himself, but Sephiroth seemed disinterested in someone who could no longer defend himself, and turned to return to his 'Mother.' Not longer later did Cloud's face swim in and out of Zack's fading vision, asking him if he was all right, what he could do.

"Stop…Seph…" was all Zack was able to get past his thick tongue. Cloud's face became set in a grim determined look as he gave Zack a firm nod. Zack grinned slightly as Cloud picked up the Buster Sword effortlessly and went up the rest of the stairs. As Zack waited for his friend to return, hopefully in one piece, he saw cracks in a few of the pods surrounding him, and more blood on the metal mesh than he had seen before. However, he merely passed it off as his own and paid it no more mind as Cloud came running back down the steps, unscathed, the Buster Sword's blade covered halfway in blood. Zack smiled weakly as Cloud checked up on him, his own silent way of saying, 'Great job, kid.' Cloud smiled back and ran further down to check on Tifa, who had slipped into unconsciousness.

It wasn't long later that Sephiroth came limping out of the JENOVA chamber, Jenova's head in his hands, looking a little worse for wear, his breathing ragged and his hair eschew. He paused by Zack and humphed at him, and went further down, stopping by Cloud and the unconscious Tifa. Cloud glared up at him and Sephiroth's eyes narrowed. "By someone like you…" he spat at the blond, before exiting.

Zack turned over and looked at Cloud further down. "Cloud, finish Sephiroth…" he gasped, but luckily Cloud heard him, tightened his grip on the Buster Sword, and gave chase to Sephiroth. Zack struggled to his hands and pulled himself to the main walkway to watch the events unfold.

"Sephiroth!!" Cloud yelled, running closer and raising the Buster Sword for a final blow. For a second, Zack actually thought Cloud could do it. However, his breath caught in his throat as he saw the Masamune's tip protrude from Cloud's mid-left stomach and Cloud gave a shriek of pain as he fell to the ground and the Buster Sword clanged to the floor beside him, before Sephiroth lifted him up off the ground.

"Don't get overconfident," Sephiroth growled, putting more force into the blade and jerking it. Cloud gave another cry of pain and he slid slightly down the blade, closing his eyes tightly, before opening them. They shined with an anger not even Sephiroth had achieved yet, and he forced himself back onto his feet solidly on the ground, before grabbing the blade. Sephiroth's eyes widened as he tried to pull the Masamune out, but Cloud's grip was too tight. He grunted before lifting Sephiroth off his own feet, yanking Masamune out, and tossing him straight into the vat of mako beneath them.

Zack smiled weakly as Cloud turned, picked up the Buster Sword, held his wound, and limped back into the pod room. He made it as far as Zack's level, before exhaustion and blood loss kicked in and he collapsed. Zack grinned and reached out, ruffling Cloud's spikes affectionately. "Good job, Cloud…" he mumbled, before they both passed out.

END FLASHBACK

Zack ran his hand through his spikes as he finished off the rest of his glass of water. "For the next five years, Cloud and I…we were test specimens for Hojo. Cloud…he didn't fair so well, and he was barely coherent as I dragged him to Midgar. I knew we needed Aeris' help… That's the end of my story," he finished.

Barret jumped slightly. "Wait a damn minute! Ain't there more?" he demanded, and Zack shrugged.

"That's a story for another day," he told the gunman.

Red XIII stood and stretched. "What happened to Sephiroth?" he questioned.

Zack shrugged again. "In terms of skill, Cloud couldn't have killed him," he answered.

Tifa flopped down on her bed with a sigh. "Official records state Sephiroth is dead. I read it in the newspaper," she told them, but then she sighed. "But Shinra, Inc. owns the paper, so I can't rely on that information."

"I want to know the truth. I want to know what happened before I woke up in Hojo's lab. Cloud and I challenged Sephiroth and lived. Why didn't he kill us?" Zack shook his head. He couldn't understand it. _Maybe Tiffania had something to do with it?_ he wondered, but then threw that thought away. _That was just my imagination. There was no way she could have been there. I would've seen her, right? So…she couldn't have been there._

"I'm alive, too," Tifa told him, and he nodded, snapped out of his thoughts.

"It seems like a lot of this doesn't make sense. What about Jenova? It was in the Shinra building, right?" asked Red XIII, sitting on his haunches.

"Shinra shipped it from Nibelheim to Midgar," explained Zack.

Red XIII nodded, then voiced another question. "Did someone else carry it out after that? It was missing from the Shinra building."

Tifa and Zack shared a glanced. "Sephiroth?" she asked.

"Damn!" Barret exclaimed, standing. "Don't none of this make sense! I'm going, going, going, gone! And I'm leavin' the thinkin' to you!" he yelled, running for the stairs. "Yo, Zack! Let's get a move on!"

"Right." Zack nodded, but no one moved.

"Yo, c'mon, let's go!" Barret ran down the stairs.

Zack grinned at his retreating back. "Oh brother," he mumbled playfully, before he started for the stairs.

"Zack…?" Tifa asked, and he paused, turning to her curiously. "How bad was I when Sephiroth cut me?"

Zack sighed. "I thought you were a goner," he told her honestly. "Especially when you wouldn't let me help you."

Tifa nodded. "Let's go. Barret's probably waiting," she mumbled, walking past him and down the stairs. Zack stared after her back curiously, before following her, leaving Red XIII alone.

The beast flicked his tail and laughed a little. "What a fascinating story……" He then got up and followed.

* * *

End: Wow. Honestly, it took me quite awhile to get through that chapter. Memories, memories, memories…blarg. Hmmmph.

Anyway, here's what you can look forward to next chapter: Sephiroth, Aeris, and Cloud spend the night by the swamps (it's the same night that Zack and co. stayed at the Kalm inn) and cross them in the morning, and Zack and co. start out for the Chocobo Ranch and go through the mishaps of catching chocobos.

So review you worm babies you! :D


	3. Part I: Chapter Two

Blind Soul  
By BlueFox

**__**

DO NOT COPY MY STORIES!!

If anyone wants to post my stories anywhere else, please just ASK and then give me credit for writing it. PM with any requests.

Intro: Here's the next chapter, as promised! Yojne!

Part I  
Chapter Two

__

"It's like they all have just vanished, but I know they're around."

Tifa nodded. "Let's go. Barret's probably waiting," she mumbled, walking past him and down the stairs. Zack stared after her back curiously, before following her, leaving Red XIII alone.

The beast flicked his tail and laughed a little. "What a fascinating story……" He then got up and followed.

-.-.-

In all honesty, his handiwork wasn't that bad. He had known that Sephiroth could very well do it, but since the silver-haired man had yet to show up to fight such a monster, he had taken it upon himself to do it.

His mouth stretched into a smile and he carved into the long tree spike the symbol of a Special Unit SOLDIER: a diamond split into four pieces by a cross. Admiring his handiwork once again, he sheathed his blood colored sword and swept his bangs from his vision before opening his pitch black wing and taking to the lightning laden clouds.

The storm was far from over.

-.-.-

Aeris sniffed at the air as she and Cloud walked a few steps behind Sephiroth, trusting the silver-haired man to get them to wherever it was they were going. She could smell something…different about the air. It wasn't the rancid putrid smell of the swamp they were approaching, nor was it the smell of the Shinra HQ she and Cloud had just recently left, nor was it the blood that had been splattered all over Shinra HQ. No…it was something else.

At that moment, a flash of light filled the air and the clouds roared in their fury before opening up and letting down their rain. She cringed at the sudden cold, and didn't notice that Sephiroth had stopped until she crashed into his back. She stumbled back a bit and lost her footing, tumbling down and taking a surprised Cloud down with her. "Are you okay?" Cloud mumbled, reaching out and touching her cheek tentatively as she rubbed her head.

"Yes, I'm fine. Just took a little tumble, that's all." She managed to get to her feet and pulled Cloud up with her as Sephiroth turned to them.

"You knew."

Aeris let out a startled squeak as she looked up at Sephiroth. His green eyes bored down into hers. "H-Huh?"

He sighed briefly, took her shoulder, and pushed her to the edge of the swamp, Cloud stumbling along behind her, not wanting to stay too close to the man who had destroyed his home. He stretched his hand forward, searching for her hand. She took it just as a flash of lightning lit up the other side of the bank and she gasped upon what she saw.

A Zolom had been impaled through its neck on the other side of the large swamp. And big enough to see from where she was, she saw the symbol of a Special Unit SOLDIER freshly made, across the tree's trunk.

Tiffania had been here. Aeris had dreamt of her. But how did Sephiroth know?

Slowly, the flower girl turned to ask Sephiroth just how he had known she had dreamt of this place, the battle, and the Zolom, but she tucked it away to ask some other time upon seeing the pensive look on his face. She turned to tell Cloud what she had seen, but before she could tell him anything, he let out a yell and slumped down to his knees on the murky mud beneath their feet. "Cloud?!" she cried out, kneeling down beside him as he grasped at his blond spikes, twisting and turning in pain, falling to his side as he let out another yell.

Aeris' hands hovered over him as she felt her Limit Break rise as she panicked. But before she could use her Healing Wind, Sephiroth grabbed her and Cloud both and took several large leaps back. He dropped them both to the ground before unsheathing Masamune. Cloud was laying very still on the soaked ground, his breaths coming in shallow gasps. Aeris stared at Sephiroth's back as he advanced to the swamp before turning her concerned deep green eyes to Cloud's shaking form.

She put her hands together in prayer and felt a soft wind blow over her and Cloud, gently caressing away both of their aches and pains, and soon enough, Cloud stopped twitching and shaking. She gently laid her hand on his cheek and he winced, immediately bringing his hand up to knock hers away.

"Cloud, it's me. Aeris," she told him gently, reaching further down and running her hand through his spikes.

"D-Don't touch m-me," he whispered, frantically crawling away from her.

Aeris felt hurt at his order. "Cloud, what is it? What's the matter?"

He sat up and put his hands over his head. "Th-They're coming!" he told her hoarsely. "It hurts, Aeris. Wh-Why won't it stop?" He started to tremble again, feeling lost, alone, and afraid.

Sympathy took over her hurt as she crawled to Cloud and sat beside him. "Who's coming?" she asked him, careful to not touch him, but sitting close enough so he could fee her presence and hear every small movement she made.

__

"The Zoloms,"

Cloud spoke in a voice that did not belong to him. He spoke in a voice that belonged to the Cetra. They were using his body as a host to speak through.

"Zoloms…?" Suddenly, Aeris heard the sounds of fighting and her head shot up and she looked to the swamp. A flash of lightning illuminated Sephiroth as he was fighting with a Midgar Zolom, and winning by the looks of it, as he cast a powerful Ice3 spell on it and dodging its lethal jaws. But to Aeris' horror, another one rose up out of the water behind him, and he didn't seem to be aware of it.

Her eyes widened fearfully, and before she knew it, she was on her feet, racing to the swamp from the distance Sephiroth had put them in. "SEPHIROTH!" she screamed, waving her arms. Luckily, that was enough for him to turn and see the Zolom behind him come down upon him. He rolled to the side and tried to stand, however, he was now stuck in the center of the swamp, where the mud was at its deepest and hardest to get out of. A third Zolom came up from the water and they all advanced on him. Sephiroth raised his sword in a defensive position as he tried to wrench his legs free of the mud. He managed to get one free, but only set him off-balance and he fell into the mud on his side.

The Zoloms tore into his arm and side.

Aeris screamed.

__

"Surgite… Inventite…"

the Cetra chanted from Cloud behind her. Aeris heard it and saw the bright green Lifestream come from beneath her and wrap her within its gentle green embrace, igniting another Limit Break from within her.

_"Veni hortum veritatis… Horti verna veritatis…"_

It gently picked her up from the ground and carried her to the Zoloms, then dropped her down in front of them, in front of wounded Sephiroth. Already, as the Zoloms retreated, the Mako within him was healing his horrendous arm as she raised her hands to the sky. A small patch of sunlight appeared over her and Sephiroth, and what looked to be angels came fluttering down, bestowing their gift of invulnerability and full recovery to the two of them. Exhausted, Aeris slumped over as Sephiroth got himself out of the mud and to his feet, ready to fight again.

As his fight with the three Zoloms continued, Aeris looked up and saw Cloud coming across the swamp to where she was, the Cetra still using him for their chant. When he came to where she was, he stepped out in front of her and spread his arms.

__

"Valete, liberi,"

the Cetra-Cloud called out.

_ "Diebus fatalibus!"_

There was a brilliant flash of white, before all of the Zoloms above and below the swamp water suddenly exploded into Lifestream and blood, the blood turning the murky waters a dark black. Sephiroth stood there, a bit shocked, before turning to Cloud and Aeris. The Cetra left Cloud's body, and he suddenly fell, completely unconscious.

Aeris slowly looked up at Sephiroth, then gave him a small smile. "Err…sorry?"

****

Later that Day…

Zack fell over, sweating, out of breath, and defeated. There was a wark heard off in the distance as the chocobo they were just about to catch ran off in fear. Red XIII yawned and spread out in the sun as Barret swore up a storm not far away. Tifa kneeled down in front of the black-haired SOLDIER, smiling.

"Do you need a Phoenix Down?" she asked, and he gave her a sour look.

"Do I look unconscious to you?"

Tifa shook her head. "No…but you look pretty close."

Zack's sour look deepened, and she giggled. He sat up and shook loose, wet blades of grass out of his hair. "I think we should just walk across the damn swamp, seriously," he told her, but she got a frightened look on her face.

"But what about the Zoloms…?" she whispered.

"I fought off two of them dragging mine and Cloud's sorry asses to Midgar. Or as far as I could get before…you know," he gestured and she nodded. "I'll do it again if I have to."

"You sure?"

Zack stood and started to do a few squats. "Sure I'm sure!" he told her cheerfully. "Red! Barret! Come on, we're going on foot!"

****

At the Swamp…

"Oh my God…" Tifa whispered, taking a large step backward. Red XIII lay down and put his paws over his nose. Zack and Barret could only stare, wide-eyed at the scene before them.

The entire swamp was filled with Zolom blood, and Zack knew it didn't all come from the one that was impaled across on the other bank. "What the hell happened here?!" Barret exclaimed, rubbing his gun arm nervously.

"A huge battle, that's what," Zack told him. "But between who and the Zoloms, I don't know."

Tifa looked at him uncertainly. "Sephiroth?"

Zack shook hid head. "No, even alone he wouldn't have been able to take all of the Zoloms in the swamp on alone, let alone win. He must've had some outside help…"

Barret shuddered. "I don' like the looks of dis," he told the others. "Let's jes get across an' we won't hafta think about it anymore."

****

Through the Mythril Mine

Zack admired his new Long-Range materia as he walked through the Mythril Mine as the lead of AVALANCHE. He had replaced his Mastered Sense materia out of his Mystile with it, and was giddy that he had a new materia. Very giddy. Just as they came into the last chamber of the Mythril Mine, he heard a familiar voice.

"Just a second!"

Zack stopped short, as did all of the other AVALANCHERs, and looked up. Standing in the exit-way of the Mine was Rude of the Turks. Zack clenched his teeth. "Rude," he greeted stiffly, nodding.

Rude returned the nod. "This won't take long. It's difficult to explain what the Turks do…"

Zack scoffed. "Kidnapping," he stated.

Rude shook his head. "To put it negatively…you could say that." He shrugged. "…But, that's not all there is to it, anymore. ………… …………" He lasped into silence.

There was another voice as a woman cleared her throat. AVALANCHE all looked to their left and saw a blond woman on the ledge higher up. "Sir! It's all right, Rude! I know you don't like speeches, so don't force it!" she called to Rude.

Rude sighed. "…Then Elena, explain."

Elena nodded and looked down at Zack, Tifa, Barret, and Red XIII. "I'm the newest member of the Turks, Elena," she introduced. "Because of Cissnei's sudden disappearance and thanks to what you did to Reno, we're short of people. …Although, because of that, I got promoted to the Turks…" She shook her head. "In any case, our job is to find out where Sephiroth is headed. And to try and stop you every step of the way." She looked at Rude who gave her a look, and she suddenly stood up straighter. "Er… Wait a minute, it's the other way around… You're the ones that are getting in our way."

A new person came into the Mine behind Rude. "…Elena. You talk too much."

Elena gasped a little and gave a slight bow to the new person. "Sorry…Tseng," she mumbled, hiding her face in her hair.

Tseng inclined his head in acceptance. "No need to tell them about our orders," he told her. "Now go. Don't forget to file your report."

Elena smiled and nodded. "Right!" She turned to Zack and the others. "Very well, Rude and I will go after Sephiroth, who's heading for Junon Harbor!"

Tseng put his hand over his face as Zack grinned up at her. "…Elena. You don't seem to understand," Tseng told her.

Elena's eyes widened a bit. "Oh! I'm sorry…" she told him, ducking her face out of sight again as Zack looked at the rest of AVALANCHE, triumphant.

Tseng waved her and Rude away. "…Go. Don't let Sephiroth get away," he told them.

"Sir!" they both acknowledged, before Rude and Elena exited the Mythril Mine from two different points. Tseng, however, stayed behind. He stepped forward on his ledge and looked down at Zack and the others.

"…Reno said he wanted to see you after the injuries you gave him healed. He wants to show his affection for you all…with a new weapon," he told them.

Zack puffed out his chest, feeling a little cocky. "It won't stand a chance."

Tseng shook his head. "Well, then… …Where's Aeris?" He looked around curiously. "She's not with you?"

Zack shook his head. "Aeris isn't with us. Sephiroth has her and Cloud," he told Tseng, who looked a little more than unnerved by this.

"Oh…" Tseng turned to leave. "Give her my regards next time you see her. If you see her." He then left the cave.

* * *

End: Well, there's that chapter. A bit short, only about 6 pages, but you guys don't mind, do you? After all of that reading in the first chapter, I thought it would be better if I cut this one down a bit.

Things to look forward to in the next chapter: Yuffie's entrance onto the scene (and Zack's reaction!), AVALANCHE arrives in Junon, and a reunion you won't soon forget! Stay tuned, and review you worm babies you! :D

****

Latin Translation:

__

Surgite

: Arise__

Inventite

: Search__

Veni hortum veritatis:

Come to the true garden__

Horti verna veritatis:

The garden of spring's truth__

Valete, liberi:

Farewell, children__

Diebus fatalibus:

From the day of fate 


	4. Part I: Chapter Three

Blind Soul  
By BlueFox

**__**

DO NOT COPY MY STORIES!!

If anyone wants to post my stories anywhere else, please just ASK and then give me credit for writing it. PM with any requests.

Intro: ……Okay, that's it, I'm sick of this. Since you all seem _so convinced_ that Tiffania is a Mary Sue, I have decided to take the Writer's Mary Sue test. Here are the results. This is after taking it once, and YES I answered honestly. I have a witness if you don't believe me. After this, you can believe what you want to believe.

__

Tiffania Adams is only a little like you. She may be popular, or she may not, but no matter what she's impossible to ignore; she stands out... just the way you always wanted to. She may have sometimes thought that she was special, or destined for greater things, but probably dismissed the idea as a fantasy. She's had more than her fair share of hard knocks, and probably spends more time than she ought moaning about it. And you've been sparing with the free handouts: whatever she gains, she's worked for.

You may have let yourself get a little too close to Tiffania Adams. Maybe she's you as you wish you were, or maybe you're just afraid no one will like her and are trying to give her a free ride. Have some confidence in your writing! Tiffania Adams is a good character. Give her room to be herself before you stifle her.

Disclaimer: OH NO! I've run out of smart-ass disclaimers! (cries) Well, you know how it goes anyway… Happy reading!

Part I  
Chapter Three

__

"I don't know what's worth fighting for, or why I have to scream."

Zack shook his head. "Aeris isn't with us. Sephiroth has her and Cloud," he told Tseng, who looked a little more than unnerved by this.

"Oh…" Tseng turned to leave. "Give her my regards next time you see her. If you see her." He then left the cave.

-.-.-

"Hey, Zack?" Tifa whispered from the ex-SOLDIER's right. "Do you, uh, know her?"

Zack's eyes narrowed. "I think so. I can't remember where, though…" He examined the Mystery Ninja closely, easily noting that she was Wutainese, and feigning sleep to put them into a false sense of security.

Red XIII lifted his head from his paws where he had laid down in the small meadow they had taken her to. "I think a wiser question would be, is she all right?"

Barret stomped his foot. "Tha's what she gets for tryin' to steal our materia durin' our fight!" he exclaimed.

Zack's eyebrows shot up to his hairline when he saw the Mystery Ninja beneath him twitch and her eyes cracked open.

"Man…… I can't believe I lost…" she mumbled, before sitting up and poking him hard on the nose. "You spikey-headed jerk! One more time, let's go one more time!" And then suddenly she was on her feet, her large four-pointed shuriken poised, ready to attack.

__

I know I've seen that somewhere…

Zack thought as he scrutinized her again.

_And her, too. But where…?_

The ninja girl saw his hesitance in fighting her and smiled smugly. "Thinkin' of running away? Stay and fight! FIGHT, I said! C'mon……"

A light flickered in Zack's eyes as he remembered her suddenly.

"What's the matter?" she asked him warily as he broke out into a smile. "You're pretty scared of me, huh!?"

"Petrified," he answered her sarcastically. "You don't recognize me?"

That stopped her short. "Wha? Why would I recognize you?"

"You don't remember me? Zack Fair?"

"Zack…Fair?" She chewed her lip, concentrating, before it clicked. "You're with Shinra!" She pointed an accusing finger at him.

He vehemently shook his head. "No, no, not anymore, Yuffie," he told her, and she winced at her name.

Tifa gave him a quizzical look. "So you DO know her?" she asked, and he nodded.

"She was just a little girl when I first saw her during the Wutai-Shinra War. Amazing how she's grown." He nodded appreciatively.

Yuffie turned a little red at his remark. "H-Hey!" she yelled out in slight annoyance. "I don't like being talked about as if I'm not here!"

"You wanna help us, Yuffie?" Zack abruptly asked her.

"Wha?" Again, Zack had caught her off-guard.

"Zack!" Barret yelled. "You ain't serious, man, are ya? She tried to take our materia, 'member?"

Zack nodded. "I know. But I also know that I can trust her," he said.

Barret sputtered a bit, still annoyed that she had gotten close enough to loosen his Poison materia before he noticed her. Red XIII stood and stretched. "I wouldn't mind her joining us," he purred. "However, it is entirely up to Ms. Yuffie to decide."

Yuffie winced. "Please don't call me 'Ms.' Cat," she told him, trying to sound condescending but sounded a bit freaked at the large talking beast. "Part of me just cringes."

"And please don't refer to me as 'Cat,'" Red XIII retorted. "I am Red XIII, or Red."

Slowly, Yuffie nodded, before turning her eyes to Zack. "Err…I don't know if I should…"

"Aww, come on," Zack pouted, making his face into the kicked-puppy look he had mastered oh-so-long-ago. "How can you hold a grudge against me, after all that money I left you, all those times I cleared monsters away from your treasure, from saving you from Bahamut Fury? That, and we're both against the Shinra, so why wouldn't you want to help?"

Yuffie sighed, accepting defeat from Zack. "Okay…I guess I'll come with you guys…" she mumbled, hooking her large shuriken onto her back.

"All right!" Zack cried out happily, some of his old cheeriness returning. "Let's mosey!"

****

In Lower Junon at the Same Time…

Tiffania breathed in the salty fresh air, smiling in spite of herself. She felt at home all of a sudden, a bout of nostalgia enveloping her in a gentle hug.

This was how he used to smell…

Like sea salt. He tasted like it, too, from what she remembered of their kisses before…she found out. Hojo had staged her finding out about everything, she knew it. And he had staged Sephiroth's finding out about himself as well. Unlike her situation, which Hojo viewed as an utter failure, Sephiroth's had worked-too well.

__

I would've ended up the same way…if he hadn't died for me…

Tiffania shook her angry tears from her eyes, unwilling to bend to the will of her pessimistic side. She wasn't one for brooding and making the worst out of the situation, like Sephiroth and her Rival could so very easily do. She'd rather be like Zack-happy, cheerful, brave, strong-willed…

Tiffania was snapped out of her thoughts as she heard a shrill shriek come from around the bend. Relying on instinct, the redhead took off for the other part of the beach, gasping in spite of herself at what she saw. A small girl by the name of Priscilla-whom she had met before-was being attacked by a large sea monster.

__

She winced at the sudden pain that slammed into her chest and coughed. Something warm and sticky came away in her hand, and her eyes widened in horror when she drew her hand away to see it covered in blood.

"You okay?" The other occupant in the small boat asked her, and she looked up at him, noting the concern in his silver-blue eyes as the wind from the speed of the boat ruffled his brown hair.

Slowly, she shook her head and showed him her hand, before a huge thing slammed into the boat from underneath them. She opened her mouth to say something else, but only more blood came up. The other occupant looked over the edge of the boat and whistled. "Looks like we've got something nasty underneath us," he told her. "Think you can stay awake long enough to fight?"

But she was already fading to darkness.

Tiffania remembered that day clearly. Her eyes narrowed. That battle had been so one-sided it wasn't even laughable. Looks like sea monsters enjoyed such things. "It won't be the same this time around," she mumbled, unsheathing her sword, hefting it between her hands, and then charging for the beast.

****

With AVALANCHE…

The sounds of a battle and the large crowd gathered by the shoreline was enough to draw the attention of the five AVALANCHERs. Zack squinted, and his eyes easily zoomed in on the battle between the sea-snake he knew to be Bottomswell and another person.

A very familiar person…

His violet eyes widened in disbelief at what he saw.

"Tiffania!" he suddenly exclaimed, and Tifa and Barret turned wide eyes to him.

"What?" Tifa asked him incredulously.

"She's dead, man," Barret told him, but Zack shook his head fiercely and pointed.

"She's down there right now, fighting that snake alone," he told them earnestly. "She needs our help!"

Yuffie looked queasy. "I dunno," she told him. "I don't do so good around water…"

Red XIII also looked a bit uneased and pawed the ground nervously. "I feel the same," he explained, bending his head. "I apologize for my weakness."

Zack shook his head. "Barret, Tifa, you with me?"

The pair glanced at each other, before looking back at him. "All right, I'll go," Tifa agreed, though a little reluctantly. She wasn't sure whether that was _really_ Tiffania down there or some impersonator sent by Shinra to throw them off track or something.

"Yeah, I'm with ya," Barret agreed softly. He turned to Yuffie and Red XIII. "Red, you keep an eye on ninja girl there. Make sure she stays outta trouble."

Yuffie gave Barret an indignant glare, and Red XIII inclined his head in acknowledgment, before the other three took off for the fight below.

****

Back With Tiffania…

__

"Past fears are hard to mend…"

She remembered that one sentence he told her after they had gotten on solid ground. She had tried her damnedest to stay well away from water after that, but it wasn't all that possible now. And she knew that.

She heard the distant call of her name, and for a moment, she lost her concentration. "Zack?" she mumbled, turning her head in the direction of where the shout had come from.

That was all the opening Bottomswell needed, before lunging forward and smacking his large tail against her, then summoning a tidal wave that crashed down upon her. She lost her sword upon impact as the ferocious waters pulled her out into the sea. Panic tore into her chest as she struggled to tread water, breathe, and stay above the churning waves all at the same time.

It wasn't working very well. The water was unbelievably cold, and it felt like shards of ice slashing across her skin.

Turning back towards inland, Tiffania was all but horrified to see that she was very far out to sea, that Bottomswell was almost a blue speck in the distance. Pain, sadness, guilt and anger all merged into one thought within her mind.

__

"Live. Live for me, breathe for me, love for me. Stay alive, for me."

"I will. For you. I promise."

Tiffania bit back a sob at the memory of those words as the cold took over her body and she shivered hard, trying only to get just a little closer to shore. Close enough to be seen. Nonetheless, despite her efforts, she seemed no closer than before.

Her breathing was frantic, and her fear was at the peak of sheer terror, but Tiffania continued on. She waded through the green-blue liquid as far as she could. Her teeth chattered and her eyes stung with sudden tears as the water was still at her neck, and she knew that if she didn't keep moving, she would probably sink.

Yet Tiffania continued on. Finally, she decided to try her hand at swimming back, blinking hard for a second before starting out. Her clothing clung to her whole figure making it so terribly hard to stretch her legs. The water was roaring in her ears and the taste of salt water was gushing in her mouth after every frantic breath. Tears pooled down her eyes and mixed with the crashing waters surrounding her. She knew she was crying but she couldn't hold it back anymore. She had to keep her promise, above all else. She knew she could not fight it. She knew she could not run from it. But she damn well knew that she could learn to swim; **_would_ swim if only to keep that promise that had kept her going since that day. **

Her arms felt sluggish with their frantic floundering. Her legs hurt from all their relentless kicking. Tiffania's body was getting tossed from side to side; thrown forwards and backwards. She felt the urge to vomit as her muscles tensed involuntarily and threatened to pull her under. She was being pulled under! Flashes of memory infiltrated her mind as she remembered the feeling of falling into deep blue depths; feeling her whole body sink deeper and deeper till a point that all she could see was water and that monster coming after her as her mind fell into unconsciousness…

__

"Tiffania!" His voice was frantic as he searched the dark blue depths for a sign that she was there, coming back up. She had to…she had to know how to swim. She was a SOLDIER for Shiva's sake!

More tears cascaded down her face, blurring her already blurred vision into nothing more than a mixed palisade of colors. But no matter how the colors of the beach and the sky twisted and formed around her, she could still see Bottomswell in the distance. That one place that she knew she had to reach if only to give a sign to the others. She would get there even if she had to die trying.

But no matter how strong her stubborn will may have been, her body could not match up to her mind; and as she tried to remain afloat, a wave out of nowhere crashed from above, pushing her down into its dark blue depths. Tiffania's arms flailed out in horror as she tried to rise up to safety but the sea was merciless, and the redhead felt herself sink deeper and deeper into the dark unknown that she knew she had no strength to escape from. Her air was depleting vastly and her limbs had lost the little energy they had.

She was going to _drown_!

A surge of bubbles rose from her lips as her eyes raised towards the sky, as if pleading nature for the last time to save her from the sea's almighty wrath. She didn't want to drown now! She had to keep her promise to him…to live for him. She couldn't die now! If she died, then she would have broken her promise to the one man she had lost her heart to…

But as the final bubbles rose from her purple tinted lips, all her mind could think of was his laughing silver blue eyes; his arms open and waiting for her like she had always envisioned.

__

Flame…I'm sorry…I…

Tiffania was unable to finish her thought, as her world hazed to cold silence. She was unable to sense the gurgling water; the roaring waves, or the strong arms that swept themselves around her and drew her up towards the sky...

-.-.-

End: Oops! A cliffhanger! Ahh! Don't hurt me! (dodges knives thrown by angry readers) And with the way this fic is updated…you guys might end up waiting quite awhile before I continue. Sorry! (laughs nervously and fades off when things get awkwardly quiet)

Anyhoo, what to look forward to in the next chapter: the identity of who saved Tiffania from the vicious waters and some more of Tiffania's past is revealed.

And before I forget, quite honestly, I didn't realize until now that the whole 'coughing up blood' thing might've made people think of Resident Evil 4. I didn't realize it until I watched the scenes with my friend MakruTree at her house and my eyes widened and I went, "Whoops." Honestly, this fic has NO connection whatsoever to the RE series, though I admit that the whole 'coughing up blood and passing out on a boat' thing Tiffania did in her memories I got from RE4, including the whole 'battle with Bottomswell from the boat' was from RE4 as well. But other than that, there shouldn't be any other ties to RE4. No zombies, no Ashley getting kidnapped, and no Leon. Don't expect it.

All right. Review you worm babies you! :D


	5. Part I: Chapter Four

Blind Soul  
By BlueFox

**__**

DO NOT COPY MY STORIES!!

If anyone wants to post my stories anywhere else, please just ASK and then give me credit for writing it. PM with any requests.

Intro: …Sorry I left you guys on a cliffhanger for about a month. It wasn't _that_ bad, was it? (shifty look) Reference to Blind SOLDIER in this chapter, so if you haven't read it, you may be a bit confused. And now, I need to get something off my chest, about casting in movies. Feel free to skip the next paragraph if it pleases you.

Ahem… Fans of Death Note may or may not have heard this. They've released a live-action film in Japan (that AC's buying and I'll be seeing this week), and they have scheduled a remake of it here in America to be released in 2010. I rejoiced at this. HOWEVER there have been rumors circulating…that ZAC EFRON will play Light Yagami. HO MAI GAWD!! HELLZ NO! God, I DO NOT want to see some dumb HSM lead person playing a divine-punisher/homicidal maniac! Sure, he may have the hair thing down, BUT! Zac is not cut out to play Light, hell he's not smart enough! I'm a Light fangirl to the extreme and it pisses me off GREATLY that they would even THINK about casting that dumbass to play Light. GAWD! That's just as bad as (Twilight fans may or may not be shocked) Dakota Fanning playing Jane in New Moon. What. The. Hell. I mean Good God, are you guys _trying_ to destroy our favorite characters/actors? Yeah, 'let's make sweet little Dakota an evil little girl who smiles sweetly at you as she mentally tortures you. Yeah! That'll go over well with her fans.' Or, 'let's turn basketball star Zac Efron into a man who kills people with a notebook, claiming to be the god of this new world, and when anyone sees him on the sidewalk they'll instinctively shrink away! Whoo!' I swear if Zac really is cast as Light, L sure as hell be some really hot guy (like Johnny Depp or something) that can be sure to outmatch Zac. Cause if not, I'm going to that casting place, and I'll shoot them in the head. And I don't care if I get arrested. Shows them that's what happens when you ruin a bishounen. …And if Misa turns out to be some dumb blonde (like Hannah Montana or Mena Suvari) I'm going to move. I don't know where. Maybe I'll just go assassinate someone nobody cares about. Seriously. Ahem… If you actually read all of this, err, thanks? I really needed to get that out.

Disclaimer: …………………… Happy reading!

Part I  
Chapter Four

__

"Where have you gone my feather light heart?"

Flame…I'm sorry…I…

Tiffania was unable to finish her thought, as her world hazed to cold silence. She was unable to sense the gurgling water; the roaring waves, or the strong arms that swept themselves around her and drew her up towards the sky...

* * *

Tiffania's lips drew no breath, nor did her chest rise with breaths of life. She had drowned while he did nothing but concentrate upon fighting the huge sea-snake, responding to her danger only when the enemy was down and out and the tides had just taken her under...

Lying underneath him in an appearance of fake-sleep, was Tiffania. His red-haired counterpart. Her long bangs hung across her cold skin, while the ominous light of the rising moon transformed her skin into a white mask of death. His comrades had left to get help, but he was absolutely afraid that he had been too late.

Zack reacted immediately, as he brushed his friend's hair from her lips and tore away her cloak quick haste. Uncaring of issues of modesty, the ex-SOLDIER peeled the wet cloth away from her body, deciding not to remove her other clothes since he was running out of time. Ripping off his gloves that he failed to remove before he dived into the water, Zack firmly planted his hands over the redhead's chest and pressed downwards in fifteen quick repetitions in an attempt to dislodge the water from her lungs.

He only paused his actions to bring his head down and seal his lips over her cold ones; pushing a full rush of air into Tiffania's system. He repeated the actions once; twice, three times and as the minutes passed, his actions became more uneven, more frantic, that he had to control his strength as to prevent from crushing her ribcage.

__

Dammit, I lost you once, I'm not losing you again, Tiffania!

he thought determinedly as he flashed back to escaping from Sector 7, where he had thought she had been crushed by the falling debris…__

"Aeris!" Tifa called, reaching a hand up to the helicopter.

Aeris momentarily raised her head and staunched her tears enough to say, "Hurry and get out!"

Tseng chuckled again. "Well, it should be starting right about now. Think you can escape in time?" With that, the helicopter rose up higher as the support blew up partially. The helicopter expertly dodged around the falling debris. Barret looked around and ran to a wire hooked onto the outer edge.

He turned to the others. Zack was glancing around and dodging away from falling debris, Tifa was looking around in a panic, and Tiffania was standing there with a distant look in her eyes. "Yo, we can use this wire to get out!" Barret called, and Tifa and Zack ran over. Tiffania stayed in her spot. Zack looked at her.

"Tiff! Come on, you don't have time to be standing there!" Zack called.

Tiffania looked at the trio and shook her head with a smile. "You guys go, you've got no room for me," she told them. At their wide-eyed look, she crossed her arms. "Go already! I'll find you guys again one day, don't worry! GO!" Right then, a huge chunk of debris fell and blocked Tifa, Zack, and Barret's view of Tiffania, and another fell, blocking off the exit down the stairs. There was no choice now. They had to go.

As they swung through Sector 7 with the Plate crashing down behind them, Zack felt hot tears build up in his eyes and fall down his face. Everything that could've gone wrong just now did. Cloud and Aeris were being carted off to Hojo, Biggs, Wedge, and Jessie had died, Tiffania had been a martyr…he wondered if this was how Cloud felt when he had died. This iron fist squeezing your heart until it snapped, the inability to breathe right, the numbness in the body, and the tears flowing down the cheeks.

As he staggered away from Barret and Tifa to into the playground, he fell to his knees and grabbed his hair. He couldn't stand it. He couldn't stand that he had failed them all. He had been revived to help them and be given a second chance, right? Well, he had absolutely failed, from what he could see. Everyone was gone. What could he do now? If anything, the only thing he

could_ do, is cry._

"I'm not letting you go so easily this time," Zack mumbled before breathing into her lips again. "No…I won't… I won't…I WON'T!"

There was a bright flash from where Zack had dropped the Ultima a few moments before running into the waters after the red-haired flag that was sinking. A red light surrounded Tiffania's body and lifted her up slightly and a small angel dropped from the heavens and placed its tiny hand on her forehead in a blessing of life, before gently laying her body on the sand beneath her.

Copper eyelashes fluttered and her mako violet eyes slowly opened, focusing and unfocusing on the world around her, before she choked on the air that had been newly put into her lungs. Zack could only watch in slight surprise as his red-haired friend rolled over and hacked up the salty fluid that had been in her lungs moments before. Slowly, he reached forward and drew her misshapen braids from her face and rubbed her back as each hack brought on a world of pain to her trembling body. Eventually, it stopped, and she took a deep shuddering breath before turning her head to look at Zack.

Their eyes met, and for the first time, she looked genuinely surprised to see him. He opened his mouth to greet her, but what she said stopped him in his tracks.

"…Flame?"

And then she passed out again.

* * *

__

Sunset. Another day of wandering, spreading smiles and a little hope through the raw heart of Alexandria.

Another day alone.

Sighing, Flame pushed through the bushes into his clearing with his favorite tree, listening to the sleepy song of life. There were the fading notes of morning glories, the soothing calls of birds, the hum of leaves blowing in the wind-

And a flash of green that wasn't leaves at all, as a familiar heart invoked Cure.

"Tiff!"

Flame took off, not caring how much he stumbled, spreading his arms wide to pick the redhead up off the ground and spin her around as he buried his head in her hair, and drinking in the scent that was magic and Tiffania and a wildness of mountain wind.

"Hey." Fingers swiped at the tears running down his cheeks; familiar soft yet strong, with a kitten-pat of a slight tremble. "Hey…."

"What took you so long?" Tiffania's knees wouldn't hold; Flame sank to the ground with her, holding on as he followed her down.

I'm not complaining, really I'm not,_ he wanted to say. _But oh, I was so worried, and it's been so lonely….__

"We kind of had to go the long way," Tiffania shrugged, glowing violet gaze dropping to their entwined fingers. "And… um… there were a few complications."

Flame looked down as well, weaving his fingers in with those battle worn fingers. Like Tiffania's deadly sword, and yet as safe. Always. "I don't see any complications."

She laughed, uncertain. "You sure about that? Flame, I don't even know what -"

__

"Zack…about five years ago…"

Zack's brows furrowed in his dream. "Five years ago…Nibelheim?"

__

"When you went to Mt. Nibel then, Tifa was your guide, right?"

Zack nodded. "Yeah. I was surprised," he murmured.

__

"Where was Tifa

other

_ than that?"_

Zack pondered this, then shook his head. "I dunno," he answered honestly. "I only saw her then and when she asked about First Class SOLDIERs."

__

"It was a great chance for those two to see each other again."

The voice he had been speaking with in almost every dream now sounded wistful. He wondered why.

_"But they didn't. Do you know why?"_

"I don't know. I never asked Cloud or anything," he said with a shrug.

The voice sighed. _"Why don't you try asking Tifa?"_

He grinned. "Yeah."

__

"Then, get up!"

Zack then became aware that someone was shaking his shoulder. He stirred and mumbled a 'five more minutes, mmkay?' into his pillow, before starting to fall back to sleep. "Hey wake up. Wake up, Zack!"

He felt a hard shove on his shoulder and landed with a hard THUMP! on the floor. He sat up, his half-lidded eyes blinking slowly. "Tifa?" he mumbled, before remembering what the voice had told him to do. "When Sephiroth, Cloud, and I went to Nibelheim, where were you?"

Tifa suddenly looked uncomfortable, her eyes darting to the door that joined the girls' room with the men's. Zack wondered if it was because Tiffania was in there, or for another reason. "…We saw each other, right?" she finally answered, turning her eyes to him.

Zack shook his head. "No, the other time," he elaborated.

She shook her head and turned away. "No…it was 5 years ago. I don't remember," she told him. "Oh, and Zack?" He cocked his head at her. "I was wrong when I was hurt. I'm sorry. I don't hate you…I've never hated you." And suddenly, she ran out from the room, leaving behind a very confused Zack.

****

In the Girls' Room…

Slowly, her amethyst colored eyes opened, then blinked furiously in the rays of sunshine that burned into them. She realized then that she was still alive, still able to keep her promise.

Her lips were tingling a little.

Was that really Flame she saw on the beach? It couldn't have been…Flame was dead. Dead and gone, a victim of Hojo's insanity, like so many others. Like Zack, Sephiroth, Tifa, her…

Like Cloud.

Tiffania sat up slowly in her bed, wincing slightly at the pain of using sore and stiff muscles, and grimaced when she realized that her hair was crusty with salt. The realization brought on the memory of drowning, and her fists clenched at her weakness. How could she be so stupid to fight that thing again, after seeing what it could do back when she had struggled to stay awake as they fled from the Mist Gaia to the Lifestream Gaia? She couldn't help but wonder…had it been sent after them?

Before she could succumb to the inner part of herself that housed her memories of those hard times, she heard a knock at the door before it opened slightly and Zack poked his head in, and smiled widely when he saw that she was awake.

Zack…

Tiffania realized with sudden clarity that she had mistaken Zack for Flame on the beach before fainting again. "S-Sorry," she mumbled, bending her head.

He stepped in and closed the door behind him. Crossing his arms, he raised an eyebrow curiously. "For what?"

She clenched the bed sheets beneath her hand and averted her gaze from him to the open window. "For what happened at the beach."

"For calling me 'Flame'?"

She winced, and nodded. "I didn't mean to. I mean, you two look so alike…the way you walk and talk, your gestures, everything but your eyes and your hair." She trailed off slightly, not wanting to start sounding like a lovesick fool.

"What's different about that?"

"He had brown hair and…silver-blue eyes," she obliged. "I guess I was hallucinating when I thought I saw him. Things are different." Even more softly, she mumbled, "Times are different."

Zack came over and sat down on the bed beside her, drawing one foot up. "You never told me you couldn't swim," he told her quietly.

"You never asked."

"I had no reason to."

"Then neither did I."

They were quiet for a bit. Finally, Zack asked, "Will you tell me more about Flame?"

But she shook her head. "I…can't," she told him, her voice breaking slightly. "It's been a year, and it's still too hard."

Zack nodded. "It's all right. But promise me you'll tell me one day?"

__

"Live. Live for me, breathe for me, love for me. Stay alive, for me."

"I will. For you. I promise."

Tiffania winced slightly, before looking up. "Only if you promise me something in return."

"What's that?"

She began to fiddle with her braids. "I've…never really had a family," she finally admitted. "Aeris and Elmyra are the closest things to one that I've had in a long, long time." She took a deep breath. "I've thought about this a lot since I last saw you…" Tiffania sighed shakily and finally looked up at him. "Will you be my…brother?"

Zack's eyebrows shot into his hair in surprise at the question. "Brother?" he mumbled. "Why?"

Tiffania shrugged and ducked her head away. "You sure seem like the type that would be fun to have as a brother," she told him. "You remind me of someone I knew a long time ago who was almost exactly like you. And I'm not talking about Flame."

"Who, then?" he asked, and she shrugged. He scratched the back of his spikes. "Err…I doubt I'd be a very good brother…" he told her, and then suddenly she stood up and wobbled slightly. He looked up at her, surprised.

"N-Nevermind," she hastily told him, her red fringe hiding her eyes. "I-It was a stupid qu-question. Just forget it." With that, she turned and walked briskly into the bathroom, closing the door and locking it.

Zack stared at the door, slack-jawed. What had he done wrong?

* * *

Not long after his eventful talk with Tiffania, Zack had exited the house they had been graciously given for rescuing Priscilla from Bottomswell and met up with the others at the stairs that led to some houses higher up. The girl, Priscilla, had arrived as they had been discussing things, and now she stood in front of Zack, shuffling her feet on the ground before finally raising her eyes to meet his. "Umm…thanks for helping my friend…" she finally said to him, and he grinned at her.

"Nothing to it," he told her.

She looked up at him, blushing vibrantly. "I'll give you something SPECIAL!" She put into his hands a red materia on a golden chain. "It's an amulet. Take good care of it, okay?"

Zack examined the materia and saw that it was a Shiva materia. He'd take it off the chain later so he didn't break her 'amulet' in front of her. In fact, he actually gave it to Tifa to clasp around her neck, noting the blush he received from her as well. "Cool," he told Priscilla, and she giggled.

That's when Shinra music started up above them, and the AVALANCHERs all looked around quizzically (it should be noted that Tiffania did NOT leave with Zack, having opted to take a shower despite Zack trying to talk to her and apologize for whatever he had done wrong). "What's that music? It sure sounds lively," Barret remarked.

Yuffie's brows furrowed and she crossed her arms. "What's going on up there?" she demanded, tapping her foot in anxiety. She had never liked Shinra after what they had done to her home.

"I heard that they're rehearsing the reception for the new Shinra president," Priscilla told them.

Barret started to jump around on his feet. "Rufus?!" he called out. "I gotta pay my respects!"

"Grandpa and grandma told me this beach was beautiful when they were small. But after the Shinra built that city above, the sun stopped shining here, and the water got polluted… I was raised on that story and hate Shinra so much, I could die!" Priscilla yelled, glaring at the ground.

Zack chuckled a bit and pinched at his clothes. "Guess I should ditch these clothes. I'd rather you didn't hate me," he told her. Priscilla gave him a surprised look, then shyly brushed her foot on the ground, blushing as she looked away.

Tifa looked at Zack. "You think Rufus is thinking about crossing the ocean from here, too?" she asked him.

Zack's eyebrows shot into his hair for a second as he crossed his arms. "Does that mean Sephiroth already crossed the ocean?" He didn't want to think that Sephiroth had taken his friends so much farther away.

Red XIII cocked his head at Zack curiously. "Zack, didn't you finish Rufus off?" he questioned.

Zack sighed. The truth would have to come out eventually. "He ran away." He dropped his arms and shrugged. "Sorry, but I'm not too keen on helicopter chasing." He shuddered slightly.

"We gotta get to the town up there…" Barret muttered, before looking at Zack. "Mebbe we could climb the tower?"

Both Priscilla and Zack shook their heads, but Priscilla was the one who answered him. "No! No! There's a high voltage current running underneath the tower. Don't wander near it, it's dangerous!" Everyone lapsed into silence, thinking of some way to get to Upper Junon. "But…you might be able to if Mr. Dolphin helps you. Follow me!" Priscilla ran for the beach.

Nobody moved as they mulled this thought over. "High voltage tower……" Tifa mumbled, before smiling slyly. "I guess this means Zack'll be all right."

"Huh, whaaa?" Zack started.

Yuffie clapped her hands and jumped up and down a bit. "Yeah, better leave it to Zack!"

Zack stared.

Red XIII chuckled and nodded his head in agreement. "We're counting on you, Zack!"

"Bu-!"

Barret clapped him roughly on the shoulder. "Don't let us down, Spikey!"

"Hey!! Wait a second!" Before Zack could protest further, the rest of AVALANCHE scattered out of his sight. He stood there for a few minutes, dumbfounded that he had been bested so easily, before his shoulders dropped and he bent his head, trudging off to the beach.

Not long after he arrived did Barret catch up with him. "Wait a minute." Barret stopped Zack, and for a bright, shining moment, Zack thought that maybe, just _maybe_ he would be let off the hook. But then Mr. Dolphin flipped out of the air and Barret's eyes shined in awe and that hope was crushed absolutely. "Now ain't that something! I ain't never seen no dolphin jump like that!"

Priscilla bounded up to them, giggling happily. "Pretty cool, huh?" She held up a small whistle on a chain. "When I blow this whistle, Mr. Dolphin jumps for me." She took the whistle off and put it into Zack's hands. "Here!! This is for you, Zack!"

"A gift?" he asked, touched a little as he put the whistle around his neck. Then, he scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "What am I supposed to do with it?"

Priscilla pointed to the water. "Just go into the water, blow this whistle and Mr. Dolphin'll jump you to the top of the pole!" she explained cheekily.

Zack blanched; he couldn't help it, as he looked up at the very skinny pole very high up that he was supposed to land on. His mouth opened and closed very much like that of a fish, before he squeaked out, "Jump to the top of the pole?" as he turned wide mako purple eyes to the young girl.

Priscilla pointed even higher. "See that rod sticking out at the top?" He found it and nodded. "If you jump just right, you can climb to the top of the town."

Barret laughed, clapping Zack heartily on the back. "Good luck Zack! If you make it, we'll follow you!" he declared, grinning big.

Zack laughed nervously as he began to walk into the water. "I now realize why I should've paid attention in physics…" he mumbled to himself as he began searching for the right spot to call Mr. Dolphin to.

After one unsuccessful try, he got it right on the next blow and landed on the pole. At first he almost lost his balance and it resulted in the panicky wheeling of the arms as he tried to right himself, before steadying himself and walking for the ladder that would take him up.

With a final wave down to Barret and Priscilla, he took a deep breath, and began to climb up the ladder to the airport.

* * *

End: Have you noticed that these chapter lengths have dramatically decreased compared to Blind SOLDIER's? Yeah, very rarely are they exceeding 10 pages…the only one to do that so far was the first chapter, the memory chapter. Now they're all bite-sized chunks! I plan to keep it that way as far into this fic as I can go. But, if you don't like the shorter chapters, and would rather have them long and juicy, let me know in your review, and I'll fix them accordingly.

Things to look forward to in the next chapter: Tiffania and Aeris run into each other quite unintentionally, Cloud's possessed again, and we get to see Zack make a big fool out of himself for the millionth time. Never gets old, does it? A fairly long chapter in the long-run. So, review you worm babies you! :D

He silenced her with his lips against her own.

* * *


	6. Part I: Chapter Five

Blind Soul  
By BlueFox

**_DO NOT COPY MY STORIES!!_**

**If anyone wants to post my stories anywhere else, please just ASK and then give me credit for writing it. PM with any requests.**

**~INTRO:** Okay, the day I typed this, Sunday, was a veerrrry bad day. First, the wind's howling at around 25~30 MPH right outside my window, so I'm up until 2:30ish before it finally calms the hell down, then my alarm _forgot_ to go off at 3:50am so I could watch Note at 4:00. So I wake up at 6:30 after a shaky 4 or so hours of sleep, and I stare at my alarm clock for a good 10 or so minutes before I start swearing at it, in disbelief that I missed DN, but I at least got to see InuYasha, which I haven't in a long. Then when I get on my computer, it decides to be all spazzy and freezes up like every five minutes, ing me off even greater, so I get off, and watch College Road Trip and Princess Monoke before turning it off my DVD Player to my TV, which decided to go spazzy at threatened me with no screen like it's been doing lately.

AND THEN, and this is the biggest one of all, a really cool commercial comes on for a movie that looks pretty awesome. Lockers blowing open, white stuff being shot from some guy's hands, people flying (seriously, the white energy and the flying should've tipped me off) and then it says 'Dragonball.' I forgot the rest of the title, because I go, "Nononono, I thought we got rid of DBZ!" I could be wrong, this could just be sharing the same title, but come _on!_ If this is a movie prequel thing to DBZ, 1: that can't be Goku, who's supposed to be a munchkin kid during DB, 2: it's live-action that looks awesome BUT is rated PG, jee-zeus! Right after that, I saw a preview for Twilight, and I perked up when Edward got kicked across the ballet room, but I was still in a very y mood…

I hope my mood doesn't show up in here, and if it does, FORGIVE me! And if you're a fan of Note, mind going to read my new story?

**~ABOUT FLAMES**: If you decide to flame this story because of the few OCs in it, or for some other reason, it will be commented on, and laughed at publicly. You've been warned.

**~DISCLAIMER:** ………………………

Part I  
Chapter Five

_"Come on, just feel it; Don't you see it?"_

After one unsuccessful try, he got it right on the next blow and landed on the pole. At first he almost lost his balance and it resulted in the panicky wheeling of the arms as he tried to right himself, before steadying himself and walking for the ladder that would take him up.

With a final wave down to Barret and Priscilla, he took a deep breath, and began to climb up the ladder to the airport.

* * *

Aeris was growing increasingly worried as she numbly picked at her new attire. A woman's version of a Shinra trooper uniform…she had been told that this was what the Special Unit SOLDIERs wore, but when she pressed Sephiroth further for answers as to what an SU SOLDIER was, his face grew taut and he gave no answer, instead taking Cloud away to meet her later on the Shinra transport vessel that would be taking them to Costa del Sol.

Her hand twitched lightly as she paced on the deck of the ship, waiting for hide or hair of her partners. She kept the helmet cradled in her other arm, having been unable to stand the unbearable heat from inside. She felt much better when it was off, being able to smell the sea breeze and see the sky. But still, she ached to have Cloud's hand in hers, if only to comfort herself that he was still there, still hanging on.

Finally giving up on pacing, Aeris walked over to the banister and leaned against it, summoning her staff and absently spinning it around as she thought about what had happened at the swamp.

"Surgite… Inventite…"_ the Cetra chanted from Cloud behind her. Aeris heard it and saw the bright green Lifestream come from beneath her and wrap her within its gentle green embrace, igniting another Limit Break from within her. _"Veni hortum veritatis… Horti verna veritatis…"

Now that she thought more about it, it wasn't really _all _of the Cetra chanting through Cloud. She wasn't even sure it was a Cetra chanting through him at all. She concentrated further on the memory of Cloud chanting.

"Valete, liberi,"_ the Cetra-Cloud called out. _"Diebus ibus!"

No, now that she really concentrated, she heard Cloud's voice chanting, but it was intermingling with another man's. Not a Cetra, no. But it was familiar…

"The Zoloms,"_ Cloud spoke in a voice that did not belong to him. He spoke in a voice that belonged to the Cetra. They were using his body as a host to speak through._

No…that time it was the Cetra speaking through him. The more she thought about it, the more she recognized that chant. But from where…? Where?

"Aeris?"

With a slight squeak, Aeris jumped to her feet, holding her Full Metal Staff in her offensive position, before actually looking to see who had barged in on her thoughts. She gasped lightly when her emerald eyes came in contact with amethyst colored ones matched with vibrant red hair.

"Tiff?"

"What are you doing here?!" they exclaimed in unison, Aeris in surprise and shock, Tiffania in despair and disbelief.

"I'm going for Costa del Sol," Tiffania told her. "And you? I heard you were traveling with Sephiroth and Cloud." She glanced around. "Where are they? Don't tell me they left you behind?"

Aeris shook her head. "No…I don't know where they are, really," she answered honestly. _I hope they haven't left me behind… _she worriedly thought.

Tiffania came over and leaned against the rail beside her brown-haired friend. "Where'd you get that outfit?" she asked casually.

"O-Oh, this? Sephiroth got it for me," Aeris said. "He told me it would be easier to move around and fight in."

"But you don't like to fight," her red-haired companion pointed out.

Aeris sighed. "Yes, I know, but I'd rather not get on his bad side again."

Tiffania looked at her and gave her the arched brow look. "What did you do to get on his bad side?"

Aeris sighed, rubbing her eyes with the palms of her hands. "Cloud and I saved his life when we were fighting the Zoloms over by the Mythril Mine," she explained wearily. "Apparently he had been faking his injuries to lure the snakes into a false sense of victory, as he later told me. But how was I supposed to know?"

Tiffania shrugged. "I've gotten on his bad side as well once upon a time," she carefully admitted. At the carefulness of her friend's voice, Aeris looked more closely at Tiffania. Her eyes were a little red and puffy and sad, her mouth was pulled into a slight frown, and she just looked absolutely exhausted beyond all belief.

"What happened to you?" the flower couldn't help but ask.

Tiffania seemed to snap out of a trance she had been momentarily in. "Oh, nothing. Just a bad…dream," she said nonchalantly, not even trying to brush it off with her usual cheerfulness, feigned or not. "And you'd probably not want to know what I did to get on his bad side, either."

"What did you do?"

Tiffania smiled sadly and shook her head. "I'd better go," she told Aeris. "I'd rather he not find me with you. He might not give a second thought to me where I stand." She pushed away from the railing and vaulted over the banister to the lower floor. Aeris followed her and leaned over the rail.

"Will I see you again, Tiff?" she asked.

Tiffania looked up and smiled wearily. "Probably. I get the feeling our paths will cross more often in the future." She turned to leave, hesitated, then looked back up at her. "I got on his bad side by running. From who or what I won't tell you. He's never forgiven me for running." With that she jogged for the stairs that led even further to the bottom of the ship, where the cargo was stored.

Aeris stood there, frozen, watching her retreating back at the stairs, almost expecting her to come right back up and tell the flower she was joking and be her vibrant, funny self again. But as more and more people got on and Tiffania never came back up from where she had left, Aeris found herself pondering her friend's words closely.

_"I got on his bad side by running. From who or what I won't tell you. He's never forgiven me for running."_

There was a deeper message to those words, she knew, and it wasn't as simple as 'don't run.' She knew there was more, there had to be more.

"Aeris?"

This time, Aeris did not jump at the voice; she knew who it was. She spun and saw the familiar blond haired friend she'd grown to care about so deeply. Reaching out, she took his searching hand and pulled him into her arms for a hug. She felt him sigh into her hair and she smiled herself, before stepping away and glancing around, keeping a loose hold on Cloud's fingers.

"Where is Sephiroth? Do you know?" she asked him.

"I don't know. He just stopped me wherever you are and then…I think he left. Sorry."

Aeris brushed a bang from his face, just happy that his hand was back in hers. "For what? It's okay, it's not your fault. Sephiroth is probably still angry with me for saving his life. Of course, half of the blame goes to you, too," she joked, and his brows snapped together as he turned his head in her direction.

"What did I do?"

Aeris froze. "You don't…remember?"

"Remember what?" Cloud's voice rose slightly. "What should I remember?" Aeris stared at him for a long moment, then slowly shook her head. A shudder ran through his body. "A-Aeris, what did I do?"

"No, no, it's nothing," she dismissed uneasily. _How could he not remember chanting the Fury Brand?_ She suddenly did a double take. Fury Brand was a Limit Break she thought that only _she_ could do. But how could Cloud do it? How had he known the words?

There was a slight shuffle of leather behind them, and Aeris turned to see Sephiroth standing by the stairs. He looked from her to Cloud and back again before raising an eyebrow. "Aeris. Cloud. Is something…wrong?" he asked them softly, but not concerned.

Aeris shook her head, unwilling to bring up the Zolom incident with him again, to bruise his ego more than she already had. He stared at her for awhile before nodding and beckoning to her.

"AVALANCHE is boarding now. We must find a place to hide. Follow me."

Aeris gently tugged on Cloud's hand as Sephiroth turned away and down the stairs, jogging lightly to catch up to him and hearing Cloud's footsteps behind her.

**With Cloud…**

Meanwhile, in the haze of neverending darkness, Cloud was struggling to remember _anything_ that would help him understand what Aeris might've been thinking. He dug deep into his hazy memory, hearing himself cry out in pain as he heard something-or more than one thing-scream out and grind a hammer into his head until he fell into a hazy semi-conscious state.

Something had happened then, he remembered seeing something, but not seeing it at all. Someone had been there, had helped him do something. He couldn't remember much, but he remembered words of the Ancients. He remembered someone helping him. Someone had been there to help him help Aeris. Slowly, the words rose from the depths of his mind.

_"Surgite… Inventite…"_ he mumbled, hearing Aeris' breath hitch in front of him as she stumbled a bit. He was afraid to continue, but found himself compelled to continue as the words pushed at his mind, determined to come out, to be _heard_.

_"Veni hortum veritatis… Horti verna veritatis… Valete liberi… Diebus ibus!"_

Suddenly, the black shifted and he felt an intense amount of energy leave his body and he stumbled, falling heavily against Aeris, who let out a choked gasp as they both went falling forward, only to be caught by someone.

"What is it, Cetra?" he heard Sephiroth demand as he righted Aeris. The tone his voice was in made Cloud stumble away from Aeris in fear, ing his hand away and reaching behind him for something. His fingers connected with something hard and he leaned against it. Judging by its cool surface against his arms, it was a wall. They must've made it into the cargo room, or somewhere close.

"N-Nothing, Sephiroth," he heard Aeris mumble before feeling her small hand on his cheek. Instinctively, he turned his head away, frightened by the touch.

"What's the matter with him?" Sephiroth sounded as if he hadn't moved from his spot, and Cloud was sure he hadn't, because the blond hadn't heard the shift of his leather or anything. Of course, Cloud also hadn't heard Aeris approach him, but she was no longer wearing her dress that made the familiar noise.

"…Cloud? Tell me you're in there?" Aeris voice wavered a bit, and he mentally kicked himself for worrying her. Minutely, he nodded, afraid that if he opened his mouth some other chant would come out and blow a hole through Aeris or something. He was already afraid of what he had done with the first one.

"I need you to stand for me," she told him, gently tugging at his arm to get him to stand. "We need to go to the higher level. Please?"

"O-Outside?" he mumbled fearfully.

"No, no. Up the stairs to the metal mesh level." Cloud suddenly heard someone tapping their foot and assumed it was Sephiroth.

"Get up, Strife, before I haul you up there forcefully." Sephiroth suddenly sounded so much closer than before, and Cloud realized that the tapping of the foot was Sephiroth approaching them. He cringed and put his arms over his head. Suddenly, he felt leather-gloved hands grip his hand yank him to his feet. He yelled and tried to pull away, but only ended up getting his shoulder dislocated.

"SEPHIROTH!" Aeris cried out in shock as she attempted to get the General to let go of Cloud's dislocated arm as the blond broke into a sweat, pain clouding his remaining senses, feeling himself go numb as he was pulled up a large set of stairs.

_"Discedo antiqua tempastas,"_ he mumbled. Aeris and Sephiroth stopped in their tracks. He could almost feel their eyes on him. _"Vocatum spes, beneficium, et probitas servatum!"_

Suddenly the gloved hands were off and Sephiroth hissed as though he had been burned, and Cloud's shoulder returned to its socket with a slight pop. With his energy fully spent, Cloud felt himself falling, falling, until he hit what Aeris had called metal mesh, and his hearing faded out.

_The blackness faded and strengthened, blooming into an expanse…of sea?_

'Oh.'

_A man's voice. A voice he… knew?_

'I didn't expect you to look for me so soon.'

_A warm voice. And kind. Why couldn't he remember it?_

_And why was he so sure that if he just looked, he'd see shafts of rainbow light, and silver laced through navy blue…._

_Wait…he could _see_?_

'Don't you dare, Cloud Strife.'_ Fierce and warm, like an older brother. _'Aeris and Zack're worried enough about you already. They don't need you wandering loose from your body on top of that.'

_He didn't mean to make his friends worry. Honest._

'I know you don't.'_ Gentler now. _'And it's all right for you to stay. For a little while. But when I say go-'

_He almost snapped off a salute. Forget drill sergeants. This man was scary._

'Am I really?'_ He sounded gleeful. _'I'm gonna love you, won't I?'

_Er - ah - he couldn't really mean-_

'Oh, Cloud.'_ Fond exasperation. _'Of course I mean it. I've been wanting to meet you for years!'

_Years? He knew it had been awhile, but… years?_

'You've lost a lot.'_ Sad and proud at once, like his mother had been when he'd left for Midgar. _'But you're still here. You're beating them.'

But they could easily beat him. Just like they had been able to beat Sephiroth at-

_Hands rested on top of his, filled with light. _'You're hurting.'

_He swallowed, feeling tears le his eyes. And maybe it was too risky, but- he reached back, just a little farther. My mother's ._

'Oh.'

_My town's . Everyone - I tried, but I don't know…. It hurt. So much._

'I'm sorry, Cloud.'_ Sunlight ruffled his hair gently. _'Be strong. Just a little longer.'

Well, yeah. He tried to shake his head, surprised and irritated. Was it wrong to be irritated with one of the few kind voices he'd met since he'd been blind? I'm being an idiot and getting Aeris worked up, so - so I've got to keep trying. Even if - I can't do very much….

'Don't you dare say something like that!'

Cloud flinched from that sudden blaze. But - she'd have a better chance without me. She should-

'Now you listen to me, Cloud.'_ He gave the blond a shake he felt all the way to his boots. _'Aeris loves you. Zack loves you. I love you. And we will not let you go, so get used to it. If you try to up and die on us, we're going to hunt you down, drag you back, and smother you in chocolate. Understand?'

Er… maybe? He suddenly had a very vivid sense of déjà vu.

_He could swear he heard someone's foot tapping, indignant frustration. But then the beat slowed, and a rustle of fabric sounded closer. _'Just hang on, Cloud,'_ brushed softly over him. _'I know you need to cry some more. You should cry some more. But not yet. Wait until you find me. Until you get to the City.'

A flash of the northern continent, where a large crater rested, and a small city of conch shells at its base.

_The Northern Continent? Was he serious? Of all the crazy places in the world to even think of going. Who'd get away from Shinra just to freeze to on the Northern Continent?_

_Fingers combed through his hair; like Aeris', only slightly larger, stronger. _'Trust me. You'll get here. And then you can cry on one of my shoulders, and Tiffania can cry on the other, and I'm going to hold you both so tight….'

Tiffania cries? He couldn't imagine a person with such a cheerful voice crying.

'Sometimes. When she's lost someone. And you've both lost so many….'_ The sense of him faded; strengthened for just an instant, as he shoved the blond firmly back. _'The City, Cloud! You and I have a Tiffania-kitten to tickle, so you'd better get her here!'

Sea was gone. The voice was gone. And the blackness was back.

…A Tiffania-kitten to tickle….

**With Zack…**

Zack examined his new blade with childlike awe through the trooper helmet, fully thankful that Ultima was allowed with his uniform after the Commander had seen him in his First Class uniform. The new blade was a large black one with a gray edge to it and the blade curved at the tip, giving it a hooked edge. The hilt was a golden spider web like the Buster's but beneath it was more black, and it had a brown no-slip grip. Its name was Basara, and it had the same amount of slots as Ultima had, but with Normal Growth he probably wouldn't be using all that often. Either way, he loved this new sword, and couldn't wait to try it out.

"Once the world gets out that Sephiroth's here, Zack and his friends will show up, too." Zack looked up at hearing his name being spoken by Rufus, but luckily the blond hadn't seen him move. He shrugged lightly and went back to examining the new sword while listening intently to the conversation in front of him.

Heidegger smacked his fist into his open palm. "We'll crush them as soon as we find them!" he declared, and Zack had to hold back a snort as he thought, _I'd like to see you try, fatty._

Rufus seemed just as amused as Zack was, as he smirked at Heidegger. "We can't have them get in our way," he told the man in green, flipping his hair out of his eyes.

Heidegger nodded enthusiastically. "Leave it up to me, sir! Gya haa haa!"

Rufus looked annoyed. "I thought I told you to stop that stupid horse laugh…" he whispered venomously.

"Gyaa……" Heidegger closed his mouth and tried to look , and when he saw that Rufus wasn't fooled, he roared and turned to the trooper and lunged for them. They scattered and Zack just stood there, his rifle and two large swords enough reason for Heidegger to not attack him. As the two Shinra higher-ups boarded the ship, the Commander blew his whistle.

"All right! Dismissed!" he yelled.

A trooper came up to Zack. "That was close," he mumbled, and Zack nodded to make his charade a little more believable.

Another trooper approached him. "Heidegger's been really edgy lately. Because Hojo disappeared leaving a letter of resignation," he explained, and Zack did a double-take. That could prove useful for later…

The first trooper nodded. "Heidegger's been forced to take care of that investigation, too," he agreed.

The Commander blew his whistle, running up to them. "Heyyy! I thought I said you were dismissed!" he yelled. The other two troopers popped off salutes and ran off. When the Commander had his back turned, Zack turned and ran onto the ship, not stopping to wave hi to Red XIII who was hiding behind a bunch of boxes by the entrance.

We'll cross the ocean, to the new continent. …even if we are wearing Shinra's uniforms…

* * *

~**END:** I know in the previous chapter I promised Zack making a fool out of himself, but the whole Aeris and Tiffania and Cloud things kind of ted this chapter, so I apologize. But Zack'll be making a fool out of himself a lot in the future, so don't worry! And yes, before you guys come banging down my door demanding answers, yes, that was Flame who Cloud was talking to, one of the many times he will be talking to him. I guess it sorta gives you a bit more info on how Flame is character-wise. So yeah. Tell me how I did with writing from blind Cloud's side. It was my first try at doing it, so I wanna now. Criticism is crucial here!

AND GUESS WHAT?! I'm gonna get to start updating every Wednesday! (Well, except for April 22, when I'll be over in Anaheim-more specifically, DISNEYLAND- and in the summer, when my access to the Internet is, spotty at best) So, this fic as well as Whisper will be updated every Wednesday. As for the KH: Bloopers story, I don't promise squat.

Things to look forward to in the next chapter: the entire boat ride to Costa del Sol. So, review you worm babies you! :D

**~Latin Translations:**

Discedo antiqua tempastas: Go away ancient tempest. (Seal Evil chant)

Vocatum spes, beneficium, et probitas servatum: We call hope, kindness, and honesty to save us. (Planet Protector chant)

Credit goes to akksgurl's _Silver Wings 3: Back Into My Arms_ story.


	7. Part I: Chapter Six

Blind Soul  
By BlueFox

**DO NOT COPY MY STORIES!!**  
If anyone wants to post my stories anywhere else, please just ASK and then give me credit for writing it. PM with any requests.

**~INTRO:** Hey, guys, I'm really sorry I didn't update last Wednesday… It was Spring Break, I was sleep-deprived, and we found out my Grandma's got lung cancer. *exhales heavily* And everything just kind of snowballed all on Wednesday, and I just wallowed away on Quizilla, taking Death Note quizzes and downloading songs and stuff. My heart really wasn't into writing this chapter then. So, sorry.

And for those of you wondering who was comforting Cloud after he said those chants, sorry, but I can't reveal it to you yet. It will, however, be revealed in later chapters, so don't worry.

**~MUSICAL MUSE: **Yeah, I've decided to start this, too. If you can't already tell, I'm in a Latin mood for this chapter, and I was listening to various songs, like the Carmina Burana suite by Carl Orff. I was also listening to 'Low of Solipsism' from Death Note and 'Lord of the Rings-Requiem for a Dream Remix'.

**~ABOUT FLAMES: **If you decide to flame this story because of the few OCs in it, or for some other reason, it will be commented on, and laughed at publicly. You've been warned.

**~DISCLAIMER:** I OWN NOTHING!!! Keep your lawyers leashed.

Part I  
Chapter Six  
_"Wait, you mean 'we', right? You aren't going in there alone."_

The Commander blew his whistle, running up to them. "Heyyy! I thought I said you were dismissed!" he yelled. The other two troopers popped off salutes and ran off. When the Commander had his back turned, Zack turned and ran onto the ship, not stopping to wave high to Red XIII who was hiding behind a bunch of boxes by the entrance.

We'll cross the ocean, to the next continent. …even if we are wearing Shinra's uniforms…

* * *

Zack noticed out of the corner of his eye a sailor whose head was bent and he was leaning heavily on a tall pile of boxes, and he was instantly reminded of Cloud. Feeling sympathetic of the person, he went over to give them support, and when the person looked up, he saw with surprise that it was a very green looking Yuffie Kisaragi.

"Urrrgh… This is why…I hate ships. Hey, Zack. You have any 'Tranquilizers'?" she asked him, leaning all of her body weight on the cargo.

Zack smiled in spite of himself and cheerfully told her, "Nope." She tried to glare at him, but with how sick she looked she was unable to make it look good and opted to just sink to the floor and put her head in between her knees. Zack walked to a little corner alone and put all of his materia on Ultima to Basara, and once the last orb was out of Ultima, it faded.

"You're welcome," he heard Angeal tell him and only him, and Zack grinned, before looking around the boxes and spotting a very familiar redhead by the stairs that led to the upper deck. She wasn't in her ordinary clothes, but then again nobody else on AVALANCHE was either, and instead in a pretty tight trooper uniform.

She was staring absently at the opposite wall, and deciding to see whether he could fool her or not, he left Basara with Yuffie, knowing full well that she wouldn't steal his materia as sick as she was, readjusted his helmet, and approached her. "General Adams, ma'am," he told her respectfully, grinning in his mask upon seeing that he had gotten her by surprise. Seeing her bewildered stare at him, Zack threw confetti up in his head-reading up on your teammates when a computer was available to you proved to be very useful. She was a high ranking officer, only one rank lower than Sephiroth in ways of combat, but higher than him in tactics and accomplishing her assignments more quickly and easily.  
She blinked for a few moments, before nodding to him. "At ease, soldier," she told him. "Though I'm wondering why you're in a trooper uniform, Zack Fair, when you could just as easily walk around in your uniform."

Zack's high was effectively brought down as he reached up to take off his helmet. "How did you know?"

"Your voice for one, and the fact that troopers have no idea who I am. Special Unit was kept a secret from everybody but the First Classes and the higher ups." She sighed. "What do you want?"

"Well, I wanted to fool you, but that plan of action was shot down," he told her, and saw a smile pull her lips up. "Listen, about earlier…"  
She gave him a sharp look. "I told you to forget it," she muttered distastefully.

But Zack shook his head. "I won't. If you want, I want to take you up on your offer. I'd love to be your, er, adoptive brother."

She stared at him for a long time, and Zack fidgeted, thinking she would decline or just walk away. Finally, however, she smiled, some spark of life returning to her eyes. "I'm going to keep my last name as Adams, just so you know."

Zack broke out into a huge grin. "I wouldn't dream of it, Tiff."

Tiffania glanced around. "Where's your sword? We're going to need it."

"With Yuffie. Lemme go get it." He was back in a flash, smug that all of his materia was in the right areas. Tiffania unsheathed her own sword.

"Roll up your sleeve and hold your arm out," she instructed, and he did just that. Quickly, she cut his arm open, ignoring his hiss of pain. She held her hand over it and muttered, "Velata."

The wound stayed open, but did not bleed, though the blood certainly did well up. Tiffania then rolled up the sleeve on her arm and motioned for Zack to cut her arm. He did so, though not as shallowly as she did his, and he almost smiled at seeing her wince and bite her lip. "Velata," she murmured again to her arm, then held it up. Zack got the idea and held his up, too, and then they pressed their cuts together, letting the blood mingle together. He felt some sort of release, something entering his system that threatened to swallow him up and leave him behind, but he gritted his teeth and fought back, shoving it down into a small little ball and storing it in a safe place for later use. "Fortune rota volvitur. Descendo minoratus. Alter in altum tollitur."

Suddenly he felt a burning sensation in his arm and was tempted to rip it away, but he had no control of his body. It stood there, frozen, unable to move anything. He heard her whisper what he hoped were the last lines in whatever she had been chanting. "Rerum tanta novitas in solemni vere et veris auctoritas jubet nos gaudere."

A force shoved him back a few paces and he grabbed his throbbing arm, before looking at it to see that it was completely healed, except for a long pink scar that he knew would be there probably for the rest of his second life. Zack looked up at Tiffania, but then had to look down, noticing that she was sitting against the stairs with a small smile on her face. "Is it over?" he asked her, shocked that his voice was shaking. She looked up at him and nodded.

"Thank you," she told him, and he nodded back.

"I'm going to look for the others, okay?" he told her.

"Okay."

Zack, despite what had just happened, smiled widely, looking at Tiffania with a new fondness that he realized was his brotherly side kicking in. I haven't felt like this since I first met Cloud, he thought to himself. "I'm glad you're happy, Tiff," he told her, and she nodded again.

"Thanks, Zack. For doing that."

"You're welcome." And with that, he picked up Basara from where he had dropped it, then reached out and tugged at one of her braids before heading for the stairs, and retreating out to the deck.

At first, the sunlight blinded him and he shielded his eyes with his hand, then remembered that he needed his helmet that he had left underneath in the cargo hold. Oh well, not very many people had been told he was dead, so he stripped down to his First Class uniform. Looking around, he glanced up and saw a trooper waving down at him. He raised his hand in greeting, wondering who it was, before the trooper took off his, er, her helmet.

"Tifa!" he greeted warmly, racing up to the ladder and to her, hugging her briefly. "I'm glad to see that you made it up here safely."

Tifa shuffled her foot on the floor beneath her, ducking her burning face behind her bangs and giggling a bit. "Yeah." She cleared her throat and put her helmet back on, saluting him. "Everything's quiet sir!" she told him loudly, before dropping her hand. "Though I really do wish all SOLDIERs would just disappear, you know?"

Zack gazed out at see, a little hurt at her words. "Yeah," he told her.

"Oh!" She started to shake her head hard. "Despite what I said in Nibelheim, I don't want you gone, Zack! I don't hate you!"  
He gave her a leveled look before patting her shoulder. "Keep working on that watch," he told her.

She nodded. "Yes, sir! Hee hee…"

Zack chuckled a little before vaulting over the banister to the deck beneath him. He wanted to explore more of this ship, but a certain wobbly-legged trooper caught his eye. Looking closer, he saw that the trooper had…a flaming tail? Smiling, he put his hands in his pockets and casually approached the trooper.

"Afternoon, soldier," he greeted, and the trooper turned to him, quiet for a long moment, before speaking in a familiar voice.

"It's me. Red," he told Zack, who laughed a little.

"Oh, I know. I'm just messin' with ya," the ex-SOLDIER told the disguised cat. "No person on this Gaia I know of has a tail of any sort anyway."

Red XIII snorted. "I'm a little woozy, but I shouldn't get caught. Humans only look at appearances anyway. Anyway you look at it, I'd say I make a fine human being."

"Despite the tail?"

Red XIII's only eye flashed. "Especially despite the tail," he told Zack. Zack nodded, and decided to go back under to the cargo bay to see how Yuffie and Tiffania were doing. Upon seeing that Yuffie was no better than before, he went over to Tiffania.

"So, sis," he greeted, testing out the new way of addressing her. She looked at him. "Is that, what you're wearing, an SU uniform?"

She looked down, then back up. "Yep, pretty much. Helps us blend in with the troopers. They see us girls and don't ask questions, assuming that we're troopers, too. In fact, I saw Aeris earlier in one of these," she told Zack. When his eyes lit up, she held up her hand. "No, I didn't get a chance to talk to her, sorry." She felt uneasy about lying to Zack, but she had to, to keep Aeris safe.

Zack sighed sadly, before asking, "Have you seen Barret?"

She crossed her arms in thought. "Barret? Hmm…" She clucked her tongue a bit before shaking her head. "Nope, not since I got on. Sorry." Zack sighed again and held up his hand.

"Ah, don't worry. I just hope he doesn't get into trouble."

And that's when the alarms went off. Tiffania shot to her feet, looking around wide-eyed. "Emergency alert! Reports of suspicious characters found! Those not on detail, search the ship.

Report when found! I repeat. Suspicious characters found on board! Those not on detail, search the ship. Report when found!"

"Damn!" Tiffania swore. "You don't think it's us they're talking about, do you?"

"I don't know. Maybe it was Barret, or it could've been us with the whole 'sibling' thing," Zack told her, but she shook her head.

"No, the first words I spoke, velata would prevent anyone from seeing or detecting what it was we were doing," she told him. "I really hope Barret didn't get himself found." Zack noticed that she glanced at the door to the engine room more than once.

"Is something in there?" He gestured to the engine room. Tiffania turned a little red and shook her head.

"Not that I know of."

Zack shook his head. "Either way, let's get up top." He turned to the piles of boxes. "Yuffie! C'mon!" Then, without waiting for her, Zack and Tiffania ran for and up the stairs. When they came out and ran to the other members of AVALANCHE, Zack found Tifa hugging him fiercely, despite the audience.

"We thought that you had been found and attacked," she told him when she finally stepped away. "I got a little worried." Not long after she said that, Yuffie dragged her sorry butt up from the cargo hold, holding her stomach and moaning. Tifa gave her a worried look. "Are you okay? Better yet, is everyone all right?"

Barret took Tiffania's shoulder. "You all right!?" he asked her, and she gave him a confused look.

"Huh?"

Tifa turned and counted heads. "Everyone's here…right?" she asked.

Barret did his own head count and nodded, before his eyes lit up in recognition. "Hey, wait. You don't think those suspicious characters are… Sephiroth, Cloud, and Aeris!?" he asked them all, and everyone shared looks of what they were each feeling.

Tifa's was of hope. "Really!?" she asked, clasping her hands together hopefully.

Barret's was of consternation. "How the hell am I supposed to know!?" he demanded, and she flinched.

Zack was bouncing around on his feet, his face full of joy. "Let's find out!" he ordered, pumped up.

Red XIII's face was serene. "It's the most logical thing to do." He looked around. "Then, who's going to go?"

Zack put his hand to his chin in thought. "Mmm…Tifa and Tiffania will come with me. Sound all right?"

Yuffie nodded. "So long as it's not me…" she mumbled. "Besid…ugh…" She ran for the edge of the boat and…you know.

Sephiroth…You'd better not have hurt either of them, Zack thought, clenching his fist briefly, before nodding to Tifa and Tiffania, who had taken off their Shinra disguises and were in their normal clothes now. They nodded to him, too. "All right, let's go!" With that, he decided to start from the bottom and work their way up. He led the way down to the cargo area where he had started.

"There's no one standing guard anymore," Tiffania mumbled, heading for the door. Tifa searched around and gasped upon looking behind the large pile of boxes by the large doors. Zack went over to see what had made her react in such a way, and gasped himself upon seeing the dead bodies haphazardly tossed behind them, fresh blood leaking from their wounds. Plugging his nose against the stench, Zack got to one knee to look at the bodies.

"These people were killed after Yuffie, Tiffania, and I went up top. They were alive before then, I saw them," he told Tifa, and they both shuddered, before Tifa pointed.

"What's Tiffania doing?" she asked, and Zack stood and turned. He beckoned to Tifa and they both went over to her.

"Tiff, are you sure nothing's in there?" he asked her.

"Not so much anymore," she told him, stretching her hand out. Zack noticed it was trembling as she put it on the door, and they slid open. From what Zack could see, there was still someone standing inside, and they all ran in and approached him. "Sephiroth?" she mumbled, and then the Commander suddenly toppled over and blood began to pool around his body.

"Damn…not Sephiroth!" Zack swore.

_……After a long sleep… …the time…… …time has……come…_

Suddenly, the body started to sizzle, before it was burned away from them, only the blood remaining. Zack looked around for the source of what had burned the body, and suddenly Tiffania tapped his shoulder and pointed at the blood. Zack looked, and his eyes widened.

The blood was boiling.

And falling gracefully down to the pool, was none other than Sephiroth himself. There was a sound above them, and they looked up to see Cloud and Aeris, hand in hand, jump from atop the banister surrounded the catwalk around the engine room. Aeris averted her eyes with the trio's, and instead kept them locked on the ground by her shoes. She was in an SU uniform, just like Tiffania had said.

"Sephiroth," Tifa breathed, and Zack heard the leather in Tiffania's glove stretch from her clenching her fist.

Sephiroth looked at each of them, before his gaze fully rested on Tiffania. His eyebrows furrowed. "……Who are you?" He directed this at the redhead, and she swallowed hard, averting his gaze.

"Her name is Tiffania!" Zack very nearly roared, feeling his Limit Break steadily rising.

Cloud bent his head. "Zack…" he whispered sadly, and Zack looked over at the other two. Aeris slowly raised her head and gave Zack a morose look.

"Aeris, don't you know that Sephiroth killed everyone outside of this room?" he asked her. "If you get in his way, he'll probably kill you, too! I…I don't want that to happen."

Aeris thrust her chin out bravely, her Striking Staff appeared in her hand and she clenched it tightly. "I don't know what you're saying," she told him. "Sephiroth was here the whole time."

Zack, Tifa, and Tiffania's eyes widened. How could she so blatantly deny what was so obviously the truth? Hadn't she been there when he had murdered the President of Shinra, Inc.?

Hadn't he killed people as they escaped the Shinra HQ? Hadn't she seen him kill the guard in this very room?

Zack turned dark eyes to Sephiroth, who looked triumphant at Aeris' answer. "Sephiroth! What are you thinking!? What are you doing!?" he demanded, taking a step forward, his hand reaching for Basara's handle.

Sephiroth turned to Aeris and stretched out his hand. "…the time……is now…" he whispered loudly enough for them all to hear. Aeris stared at his hand for a moment, looked toward Zack, then dismissed her Striking Staff and boldly put her hand into his. There was a flash and they shielded their eyes. When the trio of AVALANCHERs looked again, they were faced by the tall Jenova-BIRTH.

Zack unsheathed Basara and Tiffania whipped out Arcana as Tifa lifted her fists. Jenova-BIRTH started off the fight by using a Tail Laser that Zack and Tiffania managed to block for the most part while Tifa got the full brunt of it. As she stepped back from the blast, Tiffania cast the Enemy Skill Flamethrower, and smoke rose from the flames. Tifa and Zack used this for cover.

They jumped together when they cleared the smoke, however Jenova-BIRTH was ready for them and cast Stop on Zack, freezing him in midair while she hit Tifa with another Tail Laser. Tiffania ground her teeth at the way this was turning out. She took her turn and ran forward to cover Tifa who was downing a Hi-Potion. As the redhead lunged, she felt the aura of her Limit Break surround her and she ran straight by Jenova-BIRTH. The thirteen slashes cut open some serious wounds on Jenova-BIRTH, and the enemy turned to her to use a Tail Laser.  
Tiffania desperately jumped to get out of the way, but as she did so, what felt like a sledgehammer slammed into her chest and she fell hard onto her knees, coughing so hard she couldn't breathe. She dropped her sword and put her hands on her mouth, horrified as always to feel the blood coming from her mouth.

She heard a slight grunt and looked over to see that the Stop spell had worn off and Zack was pummeling Jenova-BIRTH with a Cross-Slash before Tifa used her own Limit Break. When finally her coughing subsided and she could think straight, Tiffania used a quick Aqualung to wash away all of the blood on her fingers, before standing and going to her teammates.  
Tifa looked none the wiser as to what had happened, but Zack was watching his "sister" with a concerned glint in his eyes. Despite the soreness of her chest and her carefully hidden gasping for air, she managed to smile brightly. Zack returned it with a very distorted one and looked down. The girls did, too, and saw what appeared to be a tentacle that was flapping around very much like a fish out of water. Tifa nudged it with her foot uncertainly.

"I've seen this somewhere…before," the fightress murmured.

Zack nodded. "Jenova," he explained simply.

Tiffania gave it a disgusted look. "You mean he's been walking around with that thing?" She shuddered and took in a deep breath to soothe her aching lungs. Zack and Tifa both cast her a worried glance, but she just returned them with an innocent, 'What's up?' one. There was the sound of a jingle and the tentacle suddenly turned into a red materia. Tiffania was the one who bent down and picked it up, examining it closely. "Hey, it's Ifrit," she said gleefully. "He's one of my favorite summons. Can I use him? Please?" She gave Zack the 'Bambi eyes'. He laughed and nodded.

"Go ahead." She let out a light squeal and flipped out her halfway-Mastered Enemy Skill Materia and tossed it to Zack before putting Ifrit in the slot. Almost instantly she could feel his fires burning inside of her and she smiled at the feeling. Zack hummed. "So it WAS Sephiroth," he said to the two women. "And Cloud and Aeris…they WERE with him. And Aeris…claimed he was innocent after killing all of those people."

Tifa shook her head. "Who else could've killed them? Cloud definitely couldn't, and Aeris doesn't like the sight of blood. And we were all up top," she said.

"It had to be Sephiroth. But why would she defend a murderer? I don't understand it…" Zack crossed his arms as he tried to think, noticing how Tiffania nervously shifted on her feet, but he made no comment as the PA system turned on.

"Dock workers-- We will be docking in Costa Del Sol in 5 minutes. Prepare for docking."

Tifa jumped a little. "Whoa! We'd better find somewhere to hide."

Tiffania gave her a 'look.' "Hide from who? Everyone's dead."

"Rufus and Heidegger aren't," Zack told her, "and I'd rather not get into another fight for now." Tiffania knew the underlying command in that sentence and wisely kept her mouth shut.

"Let's get the others and find a good place."

As Tifa and Tiffania headed for the door that led out, Zack stopped at the bottom of the few steps that led them out, before turning. "Sephiroth…is alive…" he told himself firmly. "The Promised Land… Does it really exist…?"

He did not hear Tiffania's whispered question of, "Time…is now?" behind him.

* * *

**~END:** Hey, readers & reviewers, if you're on deviantart, come drop by my page and say hello! I'd like to see you guys there. The link is in my profile. However, if you don't like OC yaoi, or yaoi at all, you'll probably not want to read my stuff. *sweatdrop*

And I'll reiterate what I said previous chapter: I update ever Wednesday, unless the week has just snowballed into a mess and I don't feel up to posting a new chapter. HOWEVER I have decidedly changed my mind about not updating on the 22nd of April. I thought we'd be in the bus going to Anaheim, but it turns out we're not leaving until 11pm of that same night! However, if I update then, it'll totally ruin my plans for updating later, which means I'll have to skip the Wednesday after that. I'll get the next chapter ready for you guys, and I'll let you choose whether you want me to update on the 22nd, or on the 29th.

Okay, now that that's out of the way, the things to look forward to in the next chapter: Costa del Sol for AVALANCHE and SCA (Seph, Cloud, and Aeris) take the hard way to the Gold Saucer. Hee hee. So review you worm babies, you! I'll see you guys next Wednesday!! :D

**~Latin Translations:**

_Velata_: veiled  
_Fortune rota volvitur. Descendo minoratus. Alter in altume tollitur: _The wheel of fortune turns. I go down, demeaned. Another is raised up.  
_Rerum tanta novitas in solemni vere et veris auctorita jubet nos gaudere:_ All this rebirth in spring's festivity and spring's power bids us to rejoice.


	8. Part I: Chapter Seven

Blind Soul  
By BlueFox

DO NOT COPY MY STORIES!!

If anyone wants to post my stories anywhere else, please just ASK and then give me credit for writing it. PM with any requests.

**~INTRO:** About what I said last chapter with the choosing the Wednesday thing…forget it. I've received word that we are actually leaving for Anaheim on TUESDAY at 11pm, not Wednesday. So I was wrong, and my schedule won't be messed up. So you guys'll have to wait two weeks for an update…unless I feel nice enough to update on the day I get back for you guys.

Ahem, it seems you guys all got confused about the last chapter… Plus you all commented on the Aeris standing up for Sephy thingie, too. So I suppose I did an iffy job last chapter. Is that why it took so long for the reviews to come through? *ponders* Anyway, here's a mini-synopsis thingie for you guys:

Upon entering the ship (the start of the chapter) Zack comes across a seasick Yuffie, and jokes around with her, effectively making her feel worse. The next person he runs into is Tiffania, who easily knows who he is. They converse, and Zack decides that he wants to be Tiff's adoptive brother. This is a complicated process, it concerns the trading of , hence the whole Latin chant stuff. As of this chapter, Zack and Tiff are pretty much -siblings, with different last names. Anyway, after the whole sibling thing, Zack switches to his 1st Class uniform and goes to meet the others. The first he meets is Tifa, disguised as a trooper. The second is Red XIII, also disguised as a trooper, a tailed one at that. Zack then goes back down to check on Yuffie and Tiffania, and he asks Tiffania more about the SU SOLDIERs. Klaxons go off, announcing an intruder, and the trio heads up to meet with the rest of AVALANCHE. The group decides to investigate the mysterious group, whom they assume is SCA, and Zack decides on Tifa and Tiffania to go with him for investigation. After heading back down, they find everyone slaughtered and piled up in a corner to rot (gross image, I know). They enter into the engine room and the man inside collapses. A mysterious voice whispers around them and the man's starts to boil. SCA make their entrance, and after a heated situation (with Aeris defending Seph omg), SCA leave and Jenova-BIRTH is a parting gift Zack, Tiff, and Tifa have to contend with. During the fight, Tiffania has an 'episode' that takes her out of the fight, but Tifa and Zack still manage to win, and JB leaves behind a tentacle and the Ifrit materia. Tiffania wishes to use the Ifrit materia, Zack relents, the group converses more, and the PA system comes on announcing their arrival at Costa del Sol.

That's where the chapter ended. If you still don't get it… I'm sorry? Can't help ya anymore.

**~MUSICAL MUSE:** I was consumed with the Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Original Soundtrack this time. CC music always seems perfect for a light-hearted chapter, which is honestly kind of strange now that I think about it…

**~ABOUT FLAMES:** If you decide to flame this story because of the few OCs in it, or for some other reason, it will be commented on, and laughed at publicly. You've been warned.

**~DISCLAIMER:** ………………………

Part I  
Chapter Seven

_"Sometimes I don't really know what's going on."_

As Tifa and Tiffania headed for the door that led out, Zack stopped at the bottom of the few steps that led them out, before turning. "Sephiroth…is alive…" he told himself firmly. "The Promised Land… Does it really exist…?"

He did not hear Tiffania's whispered question of, "Time…is now?" behind him.

* * *

Barret looked absolutely miserable when Zack approached AVALANCHE on the dock. Gazing around, Zack remembered that here was where he found out that Aeris had been an Ancient a long time ago. Judging by the sweat that was already forming at his hairline and the fact that he seemed weighted down by something other than his new sword (which wasn't all that heavy now that he thought about it), it was still as hot as it had been then (or hotter, hard to tell).

"Damn! Sure is hot here! But I sure feel better now that I can say good-bye to this sailor suit," Barret was saying when he joined the group. Zack noticed that Tiffania had taken off her cloak and trying her hardest to not glance at the water, and both Red XIII and Yuffie were panting. "Yo listen up!! Y'all be sure to mingle like regular folks here!" Barret ordered.

Tifa and Tiffania shared a look, smiling. "Oh, too bad," the said wistfully. "I liked Barret's sailor suit. He looked so cute." She and Tifa giggled a bit as Barret blushed (though that was hard to see).

"……What'ya mean 'cute'?" he asked them sheepishly, causing them to giggle even more.

Tifa was the first to calm down, and she waved her hand. "Right…well, uh…Barret, why don't you use that sailor suit for pajamas? Right, Zack?" She looked at him, as did the other two who were included in this conversation.

"Er…" Zack scratched the back of his head, unsure of how to respond to that question. He shook his head slightly. "As much as it pains me to say this, this isn't a vacation. We're here after Sephiroth. I'm going on ahead." Tiffania and Tifa looked a little crestfallen, but he winked at him and they smiled, having caught it.

Unfortunately, so had Barret, and he crossed his arms. "Hmmph, Zack," he growled, and the younger man looked at him, the epitome of innocence. "You're the one, who's always hangin' around wastin' time. I'm going to skip this resort!"

There was a bit of silence after this statement had been said, except for the panting of Yuffie and Red XIII. In fact, Red XIII was the one to break the almost extreme quiet by saying, "Would you kindly hurry? The heat is drying my nose."

Yuffie nodded. "Yeah! Mine, too!" she agreed, and was awarded with strange looks from the others. She had the grace to blush and look a little sheepish.

Slowly, Zack nodded. "All right. We'll take a break and then head off. Don't wander too far off," he told his teammates, and their faces all brightened.

Red XIII stretched, then let out a growl of contempt. "It looks like my mane got messed up. I'm going to rest somewhere cool." He then slunk off slowly to town.

Yuffie giggled. "Don't bother looking for me!" she told them and followed Red XIII.

Tiffania's voice was a bit hesitant. "Maybe…I should get a tan for a change. What do you like, Zack?"

"I like fair complexions," he told her, hinting that she didn't need a tan, or didn't need to go near the water at all. She smiled and nodded.

"I'll remember that." She turned and walked to the town. Barret didn't say anything and ran for the town, and Tifa opted to stay with Zack to keep him company. He didn't mind in the slightest.

**After Souvenir Shopping…**

Zack and Tifa walked to the beach, Tifa looking extremely happy at the new Motor Drive she and Zack had found in the basement of the villa. They had come to the beach to get an ice cream cone, and Zack was in the middle of telling Tifa about what had happened the last time he had been here, but when they rounded the corner from the stairs leading down, they found Tiffania sitting against them, staring at someone. When Zack stepped in her line of sight, she let out a surprised gasp. "Oh! Zack! Tifa!" she greeted, standing up and brushing the sand from her outfit.

Zack noticed how shady it was where she had been sitting and nodded. "Too hot for ya?"

Tiffania tugged on one of her braids. "That's one way of putting it," she told him, chuckling a bit.

Tifa had set her gaze in the direction where Tiffania had been looking, and she swatted Zack's arm to get his attention. "Look, look at that!" she told him, pointing.

"Hm?" Zack looked and saw a familiar head of oily black hair. "Who, Hojo…?" He took a step forward and squinted. "Is that man over there, Hojo?"

Tifa tugged his arm. "Let's go over and talk to him," she said, and he gave her a 'what are you, crazy?' look. But then Tiffania took it upon herself to start to walk toward Hojo, and so Zack had nothing else to do but follow behind.

When the two -clad women attending Hojo saw the three people towering over them, they looked annoyed. "God!! What do you want?" the brown skinned one demanded, looking cross.

Zack nodded to Hojo. "I want to talk with that man," he stated simply.

The woman gave him a once-over, before sighing heavily and shaking Hojo. His eyes opened beneath his glasses and he gave her an annoyed look. "Yes?" he asked impatiently.

"That scary man says he wants to talk with you." She gestured upward at Zack, and Hojo looked up at the trio standing around him.

An eyebrow raised and his lips turned up into his trademark evil smile. "It's been a long time, Zack," he greeted.

Zack's voice was taut as he said, "Hojo."

Hojo sighed and shifted into a more comfortable position as he still looked up at the trio. "Sometimes you just gotta do something like this," he explained mildly.

Zack inwardly groaned. "What are you doing?"

Hojo rolled his eyes. "Isn't it obvious? I'm getting a tan."

Zack's eyes flared. "Answer me!" he very nearly yelled.

"Hmm!" Hojo looked a bit surprised. "I believe we're both after the same goal."

Zack knew what he meant, and his voice and face softened a bit. "You mean Sephiroth, Cloud, and Aeris?" he asked, and Hojo nodded ever so slightly.

"Did you see them?" the scientist asked him, and he gave an ever so slight nod. Hojo looked down in thought. "I see……ha ha!" He began to laugh a little.

Zack, Tifa, and Tiffania looked a little taken aback. "What is it?" asked Tifa, putting her hands on her hips.

Hojo shook his head. "Nothing. I just remembered a certain hypothesis……" He looked inquiringly at Zack. "Haven't you ever had the feeling something is calling you? Or that you had to visit some place? ……" He waited for Zack to answer.

"I'll go anywhere Sephiroth and the others are at! To beat him and put an end to all this!" he declared, and Tiffania smiled behind her hand, thinking, Such bravado!

Hojo 'hmm'ed at this. "I see…… This could be interesting." Then he smiled a little and looked Zack up and down. "Heh heh! Would you like to be my guinea pig again?" Angrily, Zack reached for Basara, clenching his hand around it. Hojo looked - urprised. "Oh, now what? Are you going to draw your sword?" he taunted.

Tifa reached forward and pried Zack's hand from Basara's handle. "Stop, Zack!" she protested when he only held onto Basara's handle stronger. "I know how you feel, but you mustn't." With a sigh of regret, Zack let go of Basara and dropped his hand back to his side.

Hojo chuckled at the scene before fully resting his eyes on Tiffania. "Say, aren't you a princess?" he questioned.

Zack and Tifa turned wide eyes to Tiffania, who had an absolutely disgusted look on her face. "Are you…flirting with me?" she asked Hojo, her voice escalating into a disgusted squeak. She shook her head. "That's just wrong, Professor." She shuddered, before meeting his eyes squarely. "I know about Cloud's gift. Aeris' mother told me."

Hojo nodded. "Her mother? Oh, you mean Ifalna. How is she?" he asked.

Zack ed his head in confusion, and Tifa looked back and forth between the and the scientist, absolutely lost at what was going on. Tiffania stared at Hojo in shock for a little while, before sighing. "You didn't know!?" she asked in disbelief. "She died."

Hojo was silent for a few seconds. "……I see," he finally said, bowing his head.

Tiffania shook hers. "Professor Hojo… Is Jenova an Ancient? Is Sephiroth an Ancient? Do w-they all have the same ?" She stumbled over one of the words and Zack raised an eyebrow. Hojo mumbled something about heading west. "He's mumbling slowly... That must means he's hiding something!" She pointed an accusing finger at Hojo, who was silent as he laid back and closed his eyes.

Tifa stamped her foot. "Answer us!"

Zack shook his head. "It's no use. It's a no go," he told them. "Let's go for the inn. It's getting late."

**That Night in Zack's Dreams…**

_Tiffania staggered into the familiar large field of yellow wildflowers, covered in , dirt, and grime, panting heavily, Arcana loose in her hand. She glanced warily behind her and smiled slightly. "They won't…find me here…" she murmured, before exhaustion took its full grip on her and she collapsed, out cold._

_Only a few moments later the wildflowers shifted around her and Aeris approached her, a slightly perplexed look on her face. "Um…Miss? You're laying on my flowers," she told Tiffania softly. Tiffania didn't so much as twitch, and Aeris crossed her arm in slight frustration, before seeing the state the was in and gasping. "What happened to you? Here, let's get you fixed up." She kneeled down and prepared a Pulse of Life._

Zack's eyes opened directly into a beam of sunshine. With a hiss of disdain, he threw the blankets back and swung his feet out. The other occupants of the room, Tifa and Tiffania, were already gone, and Zack was sure he was the only one who had yet to turn up outside. Shuddering at the sweat he felt all over his body, he put his feet into his boots and laced them up, then put on all of his armor and such before stretching and heading outside.

He found his teammates easily as they were over by the stands, buying new materia and some last minute items. He also noticed Red XIII lounging in the same spot as yesterday, and Tiffania creeping over to the soccer ball the kids from the day before had left behind. Tapping Yuffie, Tifa, and Barret's shoulders, he pointed to his red-haired "sister" as she drew her foot back and slammed it into the ball. Her momentum caught her a bit off-guard and she hit the ground back first, the breath knocked from her lungs. The ball, however, flew on a direct course for Red XIII's head, where it connected hard. Red XIII jumped to his feet and saw Tiffania, before baring his teeth and slinking forward. Tiffania crawled to her hands and knees, dizzy. She looked up at the prowling comrade.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" She jumped to her feet and ran, Red XIII in hot pursuit. Zack turned and found the others smiling just like he was.

"Does anyone have any popcorn?" he asked casually, and they shook their heads, but Yuffie did produce some chocolate from her pockets as Tiffania and Red XIII completed their first circuit around the small resort.

"She shouldn't have kicked that ball at Red," Tifa scolded playfully, remembering how Zack had done it the day before and it had resulted in the same sort of thing, except Zack had wisely took to the roofs for about thirty minutes before Red XIII had lost interest.

Tiffania and Red XIII ran by again. Zack nodded sagely as Yuffie erupted into spontaneous laughter.

Barret nodded to the pair as they disappeared from sight. "You gonna help Tiff?" he asked Zack as the ex-SOLDIER popped ¼ of his chocolate bar into his mouth.

After swallowing, he answered. "Not a chance. She's a SOLDIER like me. She can handle it," he stated, popping in some more chocolate as Yuffie fell to her knees. Even Tifa was starting to laugh out loud.

Tiffania ran by again. "HELP!"

Again. "PLEASE!"

Again. "I'M BEGGING!"

And again. "I'LL PAY FOR EVERYTHING FOR THE NEXT FIVE TOWNS WE COME TO!"

Zack grinned widely and cast Stop on Red XIII.

"You s," Tiffania wheezed, glaring at them all.

* * *

"So…the power went out? That's why I couldn't see anything?" Aeris asked for the hundredth time.

Sephiroth sighed, but that was all that showed how frustrated he was with her incessant repeating of the same question. "Yes, Aeris. How many times must I tell you…?" he told her.

"Then why was the engine still running?"

"They have a back up generator for things like that," he explained.

"Oh." She was quiet for a second, before asking, "You were there the whole time, weren't you?"

Sephiroth was quiet. He was unwilling to admit that he had cast Blind on her and went out to eliminate all of the Shinra vermin onboard. The consequences that might bring about didn't seem all too good for him. And why was Cloud being extra quiet? It unnerved the General.

"Seph…?"

"Yes, Aeris?"

"You didn't answer my question."

He closed his eyes. "Yes, I was there the entire time," he lied smoothly, his face betraying nothing.

"No, you weren't." His eyebrows snapped together and he turned his head slightly. Aeris was smiling happily at him from where she and Cloud were trailing along behind, however, Cloud was tense, and the air around him was thick with bitter resentment, his head bent low. Sephiroth's gaze flicked to Aeris and then back to Cloud. Hadn't she heard what Cloud had said?

"You killed them, I know you did, Sephiroth."

Sephiroth stopped, which caused Aeris to stop and in turn Cloud stopped. He raised his head slightly, turning his face in Aeris' direction, his brows furrowed slightly. Aeris looked just as confused. "Why'd you stop, Sephiroth?"

"He's feeling guilty." Sephiroth's eyes narrowed at Cloud, who mouth hadn't even moved. He's saying it under his breath, the silver-haired man realized. He knows I can hear it…and he doesn't want to tell Aeris…

"Brave kid," he told Aeris, nodding at Cloud.

Cloud, who wasn't ready for such a reaction, lifted his head toward Sephiroth, his mouth opening slightly in surprise, before snapping shut with an audible click. He ground his teeth and bent his head. Aeris, however, smiled brilliantly and squeezed Cloud's hand, her eyes softening with affection as she looked at the blond. "Yeah, he is, isn't he?" she murmured.

Sephiroth suddenly felt a pang of something in his gut as he watched the scene in front of him, and felt his hands clench on their own accord. Shocked, he turned away. What was that…? Was he…jealous?

No, no, why would he be jealous? These were merely his comrades, two others who shared the same heritage as he did. Why should he be jealous, when they shared the same powers?

Sephiroth spun on his heel and continued to walk. Aeris didn't look back at him until he was quite a ways away. She gently tugged on Cloud's hand and jogged lightly after Sephiroth.

And then, something happened.

She hadn't noticed that Sephiroth had gone around the edge of the sandpit that surrounded the great place of amusement, the Gold Saucer, and was so intent on giving chase that she hadn't seen where she had stepped. Her foot sank into the sinking sands and she stumbled, her hand breaking away from Cloud's. Cloud gave a yell of surprise and lunged for her, however being unable to see had really bad disadvantages, as he missed her entirely and rolled down the small incline a bit before Sephiroth was suddenly there, grabbing the back of his shirt, where the pauldrons hooked together, and hauling him from the sands, then dropping him on the ground. Cloud, without Aeris near him, instinctively shuffled backward, desperately searching for something to keep him calm.

He smelled it then, very faint, but familiar. The man who smelled like sea-salt. He was far away, and Cloud found that the more he tried to stretch out to reach him, the farther he got. But he did get one message heard.

_She'll be fine. Do what you're told, and she'll be all right._

"Strife!"

Cloud jumped slightly and moved his head in the direction that Sephiroth's voice had come from. "Wh-What?" he asked.

"Get on your feet. We're going."

"G-Going where?" Cloud asked, cringing when he felt Sephiroth looming over him, probably glaring down at him.

"The Gold Saucer."

* * *

**~END:** Ahahahaha! There's that chapter for you. Uh-oh, Aeris' been taken by the sands to the Gold Saucer! Wait, how can the sands carry her that far? Well, it's called personification, people. Hee hee.

As for the whole Tiffania being chased by Red XIII bit, I needed some extra comedy relief. So sue me. (You won't get didly-squat)

Things to look forward to: an all SCA chapter at the Gold Saucer as Seph and Cloud search for Aeris…and Cloud gets his own rude awakening at the Battle Arena. So, review you worm babies, you! :D


	9. Part I: Chapter Eight

Blind Soul  
By BlueFox

**~INTRO:** OMG the Anaheim trip was AWWWWEEEEESSSSSOOOOOMMMEEEE! I've been in such a good mood about it, and details of the trip are in my deviant Journal if you want to know the details.

WHOOOOOO!!!!!! *spins around on a chocolate rush*

This chapter's got quite a few twists you may not expect! Even though I said all SCA, I decided to throw in a lil bit of AVALANCHE. I think you'll like it, and I hope this helps with a dream Zack had back in Blind SOLDIER. The one with the mysterious silver feather…

Ahem…

**~MUSICAL MUSE: **The sounds of Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth set the stage for this chapter. Just, seriously, it completely fit the atmosphere of this chapter, to me, at least. It could be different for you, but meh.

**~ABOUT FLAMES**: If you decide to flame this story because of the few OCs in it, or for some other reason, it will be commented on, and laughed at publicly. You've been warned.

**~DISCLAIMER:** I OWN NOTHING!!! Keep your lawyers leashed.

Part I  
Chapter Eight

_"You don't have to fear."_

"G-Going where?" Cloud asked, cringing when he felt Sephiroth looming over him, probably glaring down at him.

"The Gold Saucer."

* * *

When Cloud heard the bustlings of a small town around him, he felt his face heat up and he sucked his head even lower, wondering how he must've looked to them, holding onto the edge of Sephiroth's long coat as a means of staying close to him. He got the distinct feeling that people were staring at him, probably thinking something along the lines of: _A grown man holding another grown man's coat? That's just not right._ The thought made the blond's face flame-he felt the heat rush up.

Being blind had its downsides-a lot of them. The fact that you cannot see where you are walking is one. Being as such, the inevitable thing happened.

Cloud tripped, gave out a yell, let go of the cloak, and hit what felt like a tent. The tent collapsed as he heard people letting out cries of fear. Poor Cloud felt lost as he tried to claw his way out, but the tent had completely engulfed his form, and he couldn't hear anything but muffled cries. He curled himself into a ball, berating himself harshly for doing such an idiotic thing, delaying him and Sephiroth further progress into getting Aeris back, and trying to not hyperventilate at his situation.

He suddenly felt the rough feel of the canopy ripped off him and instinctively held his hands up in defense. Silently, the person who had taken the tent off him grabbed his arm and hoisted him to his feet. "…Are you all right?"

Sephiroth. Surprised, Cloud nodded at where he presumed Sephiroth was, and ended up nodding in the completely opposite direction. There were slight whispers around them, obviously the townspeople were wondering what was wrong with him. Cloud bent his head and hunched his shoulders.

Beside him, Sephiroth snarled at the whole lot of them. "He's blind! You have a problem with him, talk to _me_," he spat venomously, and all whispering stopped. Cloud heard the crowd that was around them suddenly scrambled over themselves to get away from them. Cloud smiled just a small bit and raised his head. Sephiroth took his arm. "Come. We cannot wait longer to retrieve Aeris." Suddenly, he was all cold and harsh again, but inwardly, Cloud felt some sort of happiness that _Sephiroth_ had just helped him. He gave Sephiroth a nod and allowed the ex-General to take him to their next destination.

* * *

The six members of AVALANCHE-Yuffie, Red XIII, Tiffania, Zack, Barret, and Tifa-trekked across the construction site, oblivious to the winds which caused the old iron bars to creak and groan from age. Zack lead his team across the rusted railings, semi-aware of how the panels beneath him barely seemed to handle even his weight. He turned his head behind him to gaze as Barret walked indifferently across the scaffolding, as if unconcerned of his safety.

The gunman's face was screwed up in thought, his face a mask of uncertainty and emptiness that the ex-SOLDIER had never witnessed on him. Zack turned his head away, not wanting to intrude into what he assumed was a emotional moment for Barret, knowing exactly what had taken place here. He couldn't remember for the life of him when it was, but he knew it had happened. His thoughts were soon erased from a sudden piercing scream from behind and then the sound of Tiffania, Barret, Yuffie, and Red XIII simultaneously calling out Tifa's name.

_Tifa?!_

Zack pivoted around in alarm, unable to see anything due to the robust width of Barret's back who filled his whole vision.

"What? Tifa? What happened?" Zack called out in alarm as he attempted to look over the burly gunman. It felt like it occurred in slow motion. First he saw her face, and then it disappeared and out of sight, as the rung she stood on gave way causing her to fall through the gap.

"Barret move!" Zack all but growled out, pushing around the startled gunman in attempt to make a grab at Tifa's outstretched arms. However his hands barely brushed her fingers, watching in mute horror as she mouthed out his name before downwards at an alarming rate through the scaffolding.

"Tifa! NO!" Zack shouted, his eyes wide in , as he saw her fall lower and lower, faster and faster.

His mind acted on impulse.

It was only when he felt the air rush past his face, the blurred images of the iron bars rushing past him and the faint cries of his friends that he knew that he too was falling. Narrowing his eyes in determination, the ex-SOLDIER stretched his body straight as he viewed Tifa's falling directly beneath him.

_I'm not going to make it!_

He closed his eyes, as the tension in his body suddenly realized itself and it was in that moment he let go. Pain burst from his back, and filled his eyes with a violet flame as he lost the memory of falling, of danger. His thoughts only upon reaching Tifa in time...

There was a flash, and something light brushed her cheek.

Glowing purple locked onto fearful burgundy, watching in awe the way its pupil dilated and enlarged, long black lashes fluttering within the breeze. Tifa stared, gasping at him, her heart pumping frantically in her veins, silent. He continued to look at Tifa, his lungs panting out their exertion. Violet eyes blinked once, then twice before slowly falling shut, unaware of the silver feathers that spiraled outwards into the air...

They both continued to pant.

They stood there and as Tifa looked downwards from her embrace in the black haired man's protective arms, then back towards Zack's face, which was perspired with sweat, she realized one thing....

They were_ floating._

Zack's body quaked. His lips murmured slowly before his arms went slack. The last thing he felt was the rush of falling with Tifa in his arms before falling into the water beneath.

**Later…**

"What happened, Tifa?" Zack groaned, looking around in confusion before realizing that he was lying on a bed in some form of tent. Tifa said nothing as her gaze moved from the gap of light that filtered through the holes inside the damaged green fabric. Garnet eyes slowly moved upwards, turning towards her side where Zack was sitting up beside the makeshift bed inside the North Corel Inn, feeling apprehensive and, above all else, fatigued.

"I-I don't know. I fell and…you...." Tifa gulped as her gaze fell back into her lap.

Zack furrowed his eyebrows in confusion as he gazed at the fightress who was sitting in the wooden chair beside his bed.

Tifa's voice tightened, as she furled her hands tighter into fists. "...fell off the scaffolding. And then…"

_The rush of to her brain...The feeling of strong and gentle arms wrapping around her...Violet orbs looking down deeply into her soul as a beautiful silver wing stretched out behind him like a fallen angel._

"...fell into the lake," she finished, unable to say what really happened. She wasn't sure herself. She stood up slowly and turned away to face the entrance of the tent, unsure whether to tell Zack the truth or not.

He nodded, accepting her answer. He looked down at himself, surprised to note that he was lacking his SOLDIER top and armor. "Uh..." He slowly rose from the bed and stretched his arms above his head with a satisfying moan, wincing lightly when he tested the muscles in his back that felt somewhat sore.

"Where are the others?" he asked, realizing for the first time that the other four were not in the tent.

"In town looking for supplies," Tifa replied quietly, although she kept her eyes from looking in her leader's direction.

Zack nodded again, before turning to rummage across the bed. "Uh... Tifa?"

She turned. "Hmmm?"

"Where is my top?" Zack questioned as he pointed down at his chiseled chest, lightly bronzed and void of all hairs. Even in the lack of light in the room, Tifa could easily see the sight of his firm pectorals down to every last bulge of muscle. Her face burned when she knew that Zack realized that she was staring. Turning her head away to hide her embarrassment, the fightress moved to find the item he asked for as he grinned at her.

"Here..." Tifa said quietly as she reached down beside her chair to pick up the purple cloth and the silver pauldrons and belts, before pointing to the large Basara Blade which laid on its side on the floor. Zack quickly picked up the black top, about to put it on, before pausing when he felt his hand penetrate from one side of the material to the neck in a place where he knew that there _should_ _not_ be an armhole.

"It's torn? Must have ripped it falling," Zack mused as he calculated the damage in his mind, and the wide hole that was upon the upper left back of his SOLDIER uniform.

Tifa reshuffled her weight from one foot to another as she picked up a cotton bag by the side of Zack's bed that he had not noticed from awakening. "Um…I bought this out of town. It isn't anything overly special or fashionable, but I thought you would find it a suitable substitute," she said as she handed the bag to the black haired ex-SOLDIER, who pulled out the garment with mild interest. The description was pretty much what Tifa had explained, and could have been close to the original SOLDIER uniform if it weren't for the fact that the top had a zip down its front, and was more blue than black in color. Regardless, Zack was pleased with the top and expressed his gratitude with a soft smile in Tifa's direction.

"Thanks Tifa. It looks like it will fit." Zack looked at the 'SMALL' label on the shirt with a barely concealed frown.

Tifa's thoughts wandered back to the fall.

_Was I dreaming, or was Zack a one-winged angel?

* * *

_

**~END:** I bet you weren't expecting that! I'm not stopping the chapter here, just thought I'd mess with ya! XD

No, wait! Come back! I said come back! The chapter's not over yet! *runs after leaving readers*

* * *

Cloud was overwhelmed. His ears and his head were both throbbing, he struggled to keep up with Sephiroth, unable to hear fully what he was asking those they came across, though he heard the words 'Black Materia' spoken a lot. He asked Sephiroth once what it was, and got no answer. It just made Cloud more curious.

Finally, it seemed as though they hit a reliable source, and found out that Aeris was down below in the Corel Prison. Apparently, the only way out was for one of them to win a Chocobo Race.

Sephiroth was not happy.

"We'll enter the next race," he told Cloud, leading him none too gently away from the person named Dio. Just from the harshness in the ex-General's voice, Cloud could tell he was absolutely disgusted by the man.

"Where?" Cloud asked softly, trusting Sephiroth's good hearing to pick his voice up.

"Chocobo Racing wing." Just as he finished saying it, Cloud heard a dramatic change of scenery. Instead of random game winnings and such, he now heard a bunch of chocobo calls and announcers as to who was winning and people's happiness at winning a bet, or losing. He shivered, before he felt Sephiroth press him down onto a bench.

"Stay here until I get back. Do not move, do not let other people take you somewhere. Understand?"

Cloud nodded and felt Sephiroth leave. The blond, uncaring that he was in public, brought his legs up onto the bench and curled them to his body, wrapping his arms around him. _He'll be back soon, he'll be back soon…_ he told himself. _He'll be back soo-_

A heavy weight smacked into his head and he passed out.

* * *

"Hey, kid, get up."

Cloud felt foggy haziness shift around him and he became more aware of his surroundings…kind of. This place was almost ly silent, if it weren't for the screaming fans he could hear beyond a door somewhere. He shook his head a bit, felt himself blink, but the blackness never changed. "You ready?"

"Huh?"

"You gonna fight?"

Fight?! Cloud's foggy eyes widened in surprise. "Wh-What?"

"Well, ya wanna save that , eh?"

Cloud could only sit there, on a cold tiled floor by the feel of it, wondering what the hell was going on, why he wasn't in the Chocobo Racing wing anymore.

"Well, lessee if ya can pull your weight 'round here. Show me what ya got, kid."

He was none too gently yanked to his feet and a sword was shoved into his hands. It was not the Buster; distantly, Cloud remembered he had left it behind in Sector 7…and that Sector 7 had been crushed.

Suddenly, the doors opened. "Welcome to the Battle Arena, kid," said the person, and shoved him out into the arena.

The audience burst into huge applause when he came out, and Cloud didn't know what to do. He swallowed hard and held his sword at a comfortable stance, hoping he didn't look stupid.

_…Help?

* * *

_

**~END:** BlueFox is cruel. BlueFox is mean. BlueFox requests reviews!

Things to look forward to in the next chapter: some more of Flame and Cloud FIGHTS! O.o Oh, and a return of a character who 'disappeared' after CC. A bit cruel, that character is…


	10. Part I: Chapter Nine

Blind Soul  
By BlueFox

**~INTRO:** Hello and welcome! If I named chapters, I would so steal a chapter title from _Once More With Feeling!_ and use My Life Needs a Do-Over. Poor Cloud, I'm so cruel to him.

Oh dear god you guys, I'm so screwed this coming week. It's…Finals week. Biology, Algebra II, History, English, and Art… Oh man… I'm not going to update for a while after this, and so if I disappear for a few months, please note that I will, for sure, return in August, when we return to school. If not, I'll pop in once or twice during the summer, but I make no promises.

Ahem…

**~ABOUT FLAMES:** If you decide to flame this story because of the few OCs in it, or for some other reason, it will be commented on, and laughed at publicly. You've been warned.

**~DISCLAIMER:** I OWN NOTHING!!! Keep your lawyers leashed.

Part I  
Chapter Nine

__

"My Life Needs a Do-Over"

(Hah! I used it anyway!)

The audience burst into huge applause when he came out, and Cloud didn't know what to do. He swallowed hard and held his sword at a comfortable stance, hoping he didn't look stupid.

__

…Help?

* * *

__

Cloud?

Perched in the highest branch of his favorite tree in the Lifestream, Flame Aaeul leaned back against the hard trunk and let colored sun fall over his face through the many leaves. Three hours. Not a word. Not a sign. Aeris might have well just evaporated; Sephiroth and all.

It didn't make sense. If Sephiroth was unable to rescue Aeris, he would have heard something from Cloud. If Sephiroth had succeeded, but Aeris had died - again, Cloud would have told him unconsciously. But he had gotten no response from Cloud in three hours.

Something was wrong. Cloud wasn't dead. However, he was _missing_. That was enough.

__

But Cloud is alive.

Alive, and… absent. Somewhere he couldn't _quite_ reach. Like stumbling in a darkened room, unable to find one dropped gil on the floor, when it'd be so _obvious_ if he could just put his hand on the light switch….

Flame let out a frustrated breath. This was not helping. He'd spent years looking for Tiffania, like an ordinary man, and _looking_, like someone who wasn't ordinary at all. None of it had gotten him more than empty echoes.

He wasn't about to let the same happen with him and Cloud.

__

Time to try something else.

Zack, Aeris, Tiffania - they were all _bright_. Larger than life. If he couldn't feel them, something was hiding them. And he didn't know how to even start peeling that block away.

__

But if you can't find a big thing… sometimes people forget to hide a small one.

Which was why he was up here, in the sun, perched in the highest, most precarious spot he could find.

_"Regular cadets, they want to brood, they head for a bar,"_ the voice of memory chuckled. _"Cloud can't drink and he knows it. He heads for high places. The higher the better."_

One of the few things Zack had had the chance to tell him, during his brief stay in the Lifestream, about the little shadow he'd picked up. Yet another hopeful who hadn't made it into SOLDIER, who'd still somehow drawn Zack's eye.

__

"He tries so hard, Flame. And he's good. Better than he thinks. He just needs some time to grow into it. And out of being shy. I wish you could meet him…."

Only he hadn't had the chance. Not until the Cetra gave him to Cloud.

And now he was going to try to find him again with a hope and a hunch. "Which makes me a big idiot, doesn't it?" Flame said lightly, looking up at a perched robin spirit looking curiously at the human spirit in his home. _This is my place_, the bird seemed to be trying to say. _Attack me at your own risk._

"Oh, Tiff would _love_ you," Flame exclaimed, delighted, holding out his finger for the bird to perch on, which it did. "Why haven't I found you before?"

**__**

Memories.

Forgotten.

Protect….

So. This _was_ the right place to look from. Leaning against the strength of the old tree, Flame closed his eyes and reached… _out._

_Won't let go._ Can't _let go._ He's _still fighting, and I can't let him down, not again…._

…_Can't let him down,_ a subtler, familiar voice whispered. _Stubborn, saved me from him; Sephiroth won't kill her, damned if I'll let these monsters…._

The shock of that name flung Flame back, clutching small branches like the last things on earth anchoring him from second death.

Which… they almost had been. Flame swallowed, and leaned back away from the edge.

But he'd been right. Where Aeris was just a flicker in the Lifestream, pink awash in green rivers, the stubborn little light of sky blue that was _Cloud_ still burned. Found, finally.

_Because he's fighting,_ Flame thought dizzily. _He's fighting so hard to save Aeris…._

He finally understood what the Cetra meant by 'Protect the Gift.' Cloud's loss of sight was also a gift. A blessing of the Cetra, almost like a Saint. He had a gift of sight…through the Lifestream. He could see the Lifestream flowing through the monsters he was fighting, and could strike out at them. He oculd see Lifestream flowing through those close to him in colored rivulats. But he was afraid. Afraid of this ability, and it showed.

Cloud was trapped. Confused. Fighting to protect _everything_. And losing.

_But it doesn't make sense,_ the part of him that had always leaned on stubborn logic protested. _If the Cetra chose Cloud for that Gift, what was the point of reviving Zack?_

**_Someone would have told me?_** the part that believed in ghostly voices and visions observed dryly._ **The way they told me about Tiffania?**_

No. Something was _wrong_. So very wrong.

_Tell me something I don't know,_ logic-side quipped._ So I know_ something's_ wrong. That still doesn't tell me how to find them, how to protect them-_

…_Protect?_ Robin murmured.

Flame blinked at the ghostly echo, suddenly picking out that thistle-seed specks of white, black, and gold were _not_ sparkles from stained glass. Sparkles didn't sing.

__

Materia.

In rock? Raw materia formed in lumps, yes; sometimes, rarely, even in massive groups. It was never dispersed in stone, like bits of Lifestream in a living body-

Flame caught his breath, and placed his hand on the tree, searching for any spark of life.

Amusement seemed to radiate from the robin like stored sunlight, wind blowing a cool mist of regret. _Forgotten… by you as well…._

Not life. Just a ghost of essence, drawn to what might have been life, untold years before. "Who were you?" he asked softly.

A long silence, as thin threads of memory were drawn to him from lives past. _Protectors of protectors. Cetra,_ he felt in that, and _friend-to-Cetra, other_. Yet another thing his mother had never had the chance to tell him. Or had she even known? _Who can save the ones who want to save you?_

Like breezes before a storm, the Cetra hushed.

Something moved through the silence. Flame held his breath, sensing a stalk deliberate and deadly as a dragon, as Angeal on a mission. **_These._ **A rumble, like far-off thunder. _**Yours, Messenger?**_

"Yes," he said, not hesitating. Tiffania was his, he had her heart; and any friend of Tiffania's, he was sure he'd love as well. Cloud was his, he was Cloud's guardian angel; anyone close to him would have his protection as well.

__

**…We will try.**

Flame blinked in a stripe of blue sunshine, hearing the other Cetra creep back like dawn tide. _What just happened?_

But that strange remnant was gone, sudden as phoenix wings.

**With Cloud…**

One last battle. One more.

For a strange reason, Cloud couldn't see this enemy. Not like he had 'seen' the others, seen the Lifestream coursing through them. This one was different. And it had a voice he recognized from a long time before.

__

"He doesn't look very good. What happened?"

"Mako poisoning and it's quite serious."

"It's because of the experiments isn't it?"

"Yeah."

He heard the whiz of a large shuriken coming at him and desperately ducked. The smell of sea-salt rammed into his nose and a beautiful feeling of warmth spread through him. _You're back!_ he silently cried out in happiness.

He didn't even realize how different he felt when the man that smelled of sea salt had disappeared just before his battles had begun. A hard force slammed into his side and he fell forward, stumbled and down he went to his knees. He had to pay attention. Even if he couldn't see the Lifestream, he could sense the person's direction of movements, right?

'No.'

His voice was suddenly there, as if right in his ear. He let out a gasp that could've been mistaken for pain as the large shuriken-that he could suddenly see magic outlining it-embedded itself in his left arm.

'She's a Turk. Cissnei.'

Now Cloud foggily remembered.

__

"Cissnei…"

"The targets have escaped."

He could feel the blood running down his arm, and heard just the very soft, almost imperceptible, sound of one singular footstep. It sounded so _close_.

'Strike to your left!'

Cloud did so, obediently following the sea-salt man's orders. Cissnei let out a slight gasp and he heard and felt the sword he was using connect with her arm as he had reached for her shuriken.

The shuriken came free, and from the distance and movements of the magic-lined weapon, she was going for a long range attack.

The weapon moved, and suddenly the image swam before his unseeing eyes. Cloud shook his head, feeling panic begin to raise his heartbeat. Four different shuriken were coming at him, one from each direction. He didn't know what to do. In desperation, he held up the sword and blocked two of them, and the other two slammed into him from either side.

Pain lanced all throughout him as he heard the entire crowd gasp in surprise. His legs gave out and he moved his head down, and he _saw._ Pools of green were forming around him. It was…his blood. Mako-infused.

There was so much, so much.

Cloud closed his eyelids, hoping he could find some solace in the pure darkness he hoped he would find there. But there was none. If anything, the pools only grew brighter, and he shrieked, not in pain, but in fear.

How could all of that be _his_ blood? There was too much…how could so much fit inside of his body? How?

There was a loud shrieking sound filling his head now; it wasn't his. The Cry of the Planet, intensifying with each breath he took. He dropped his sword and shook his head as he reached for his spikes. "Stopitstopitstopitstopit!" he cried, and all background noise-the audience, the announcement of Cissnei as the winner, everything, was shut out as the Cry became so loud and so piercing, he screamed with it.

And then, very suddenly, the green pools of his blood disappeared, and he felt as though he were being gently carried on waves of the ocean. The scent of the sea-salt was strong. The Planet's screams were a mere echo now, and he slowly opened his eyelids. Of course, at first he only saw blackness…

…and then he saw silver. It was taking the shape of a person. The person was coming closer, and closer. Shafts of navy blue reached out through the silver. _It's…you…_

The person made of silver and navy blue, who smelled of sea-salt, stopped walking. 'I can't help you now. Fight, Cloud, fight! Or else…next time, I may not ever be able to find you again.'

That caused fear to lance through Cloud. _But…I'm afraid. What was that? Why didn't it go away?_

'Remember your destination, Cloud!' The screams were getting louder. 'The City in the North. Remember!'

The silver and navy blue man flickered away, and Cloud was alone.

**

* * *

**

~END: WHEW! That took a little bit of time to write, actually. There will be more of Cissnei in the future, I promise. But either way, we've gotta get back on track with the other storyline. There are like 3 in this whole story. Zack's as he chases after Sephiroth, Aeris, and Cloud. Cloud, as he tries to cope with his hindrance and gift as well as try to figure out what it is Sephiroth is plotting. Tiffania's, but I'm not going into it right now. And Flame is entwined to them all.

Also, rereading the Flame part of that chapter has left even ME confused. So here's a hopefully easier to understand explanation: the connection between Flame and Cloud was turned off when Cloud's Gift kicked in. It had been three hours since the battles had begun and Flame was getting worried. While in the Lifestream-cause he's dead, if you didn't catch that before-he searches for any semblance of Cloud, and briefly feels him when Cloud's thinking about not giving up and such. Flame contemplates a whole bunch of stuff concerning Cloud, Zack, Aeris, and Tiffania, and that's vague for a reason. Even Flame's confused by the Cetra's actions (I know what they're trying to do, and I'm not tellin' ya quite yet!). Anyway, as he contemplates everything, he realizes something about materia in rocks being the same as Lifestream in the body-hence, Flame can connect to Cloud via the Lifestream the same way the power of the Ancients connects to materia through rocks. The robin, a messenger for the Cetra, flies off to spread Flame's protection back to Cloud, and thus do we return to Cloud. And if you're wondering how a dead bird can go back to the world of the living, remember, it's a messenger of the CETRA after all. Also, credit goes to Reaper Nanashi for the 'Cloud seeing Lifestream in his enemies' idea.

This is what to look forward to next chapter: the continuation of AVALANCHE's journey, and a few close calls with a certain somebody… Mwahaha, I won't divulge whom!

Demand updates. Updates happen. And PS, if you're a fan of Blind SOLDIER/Soul, I need you to go and vote in my poll that I've finally changed. It's very important to the completion of this story, and ANSWER HONESTLY DAMMIT. Err, sorry.

Flashes of green.

Black.

A roar.

Pain.

Fragmenting.


	11. Part I: Chapter Ten

Blind Soul  
By BlueFox

**_DO NOT COPY MY STORIES!!_**

**_If anyone wants to post my stories anywhere else, please just ASK and then give me credit for writing it. PM with any requests._**

**~INTRO:** You demanded an update. The update has happened. Finally. I'm sorry this update took SO long. A month. I hate disappearing for a month. *growls*

Ahem.

Yes, I took the scene with Zack in the beginning from Get Smart. Don't hurt me…

**~ABOUT FLAMES:** If you decide to flame this story because of the few OCs in it, or for some other reason, it will be commented on, and laughed at publicly. You've been warned.

**~DISCLAIMER:** I OWN NOTHING!!! Keep your lawyers leashed.

Part I  
Chapter Ten

__

"Don't tear me down."

'Remember your destination, Cloud!' The screams were getting louder. 'The City in the North. Remember!'

The silver and navy blue man flickered away, and Cloud was alone.

* * *

_Prison again. Lovely,_ Zack thought sarcastically, his mako violet eyes tracking the poorly hidden young man trailing along behind him. On either side of him was Tifa, who also looked annoyed, probably sharing the same thoughts as his, and a bouncing, energetic robotic cat, Cait Sith. He remembered seeing the cat around once or twice in the Shinra Building, and he had an inkling of who it was, but he wasn't going to jump to conclusions.

But still, was there a real reason why they had been thrown down here? No, they had been framed, and all evidence pointed to Barret. Wherever he was.

"Ahh! Lech!" Tifa suddenly spun and punched the stalker-guy square in the nose. Blood spurted out of the wound as the guy fell over, dead out. Cait Sith rubbed his head.

"Remind me never to get on your bad side," he told Tifa.

Zack had been oblivious to this entire situation, walking off without his comrades, pondering what Cait Sith had said to him for his fortune.

__

What you pursue will be yours. But you will lose more than one that you hold dear.

Zack got this nagging feeling that the fortune was talking about Aeris, at least, in part. But how? He already had lost her, to Sephiroth. But who would the other one-

A flash of pink surrounded by brown pricked the corner of his eye. Immediately, Zack looked over, hoping it was Aeris, but he saw nothing and no one there. Probably just a reflection of the sun's

**_SMACK!_**

Zack stumbled back from where he had walked straight into a building. He rubbed the entire left side of his face while giving the building a death glare. Behind him, he heard Tifa and Cait Sith trying to smother their laughs. He turned to them and gave them a sarcastic glare, rolling his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, laugh it up," he told them.

* * *

"No, no, not that way!" Aeris nearly cried, grabbing Sephiroth's hand. "Zack's that way!"

Sephiroth stopped and sighed, glancing back at her. "We must get back to Cloud, Aeris," he told her impatiently. "That means going back up that elevator."

Aeris glanced both way before looking at him. "Zack'll go berserk if he finds us. Even more so that Cloud isn't with us!" She tugged on his arm, but he did not relinquish his ground, he just continued to stare at her. "Oh no! I think he saw us!"

Sephiroth was momentarily distracted by this and turned his head to look at Zack, who sure enough was heading their way, though his eyes seemed distant, like he was deep in thought. Aeris was suddenly in front of him and she shoved him away, pushing him to the other side of the building, where Zack wouldn't

**_SMACK!_**

Sephiroth sucked in a breath, instinctively reaching for the back of his head as Aeris slammed her hands over her mouth in an effort to not burst out laughing and give away their location. Sephiroth rolled his eyes at her. "Laugh all you want. We have to get to get to that elevator." Sephiroth turned to stalk around the building and Aeris stepped around the beam support she had unknowingly run Sephiroth's head into.

* * *

Zack could've sworn he saw a flash of black around the corner of the building he had unknowingly run into, but he was too busy chasing after Barret to really care. He, Tifa, and Cait Sith were chasing after the gunman, and Zack was dismayed to find out, that just after clearing the gate beyond the annoying building, Barret was nowhere to be found. With a sigh, he headed for the nearest shack that was by the perimeter by the vast desert. It turned out to be an old, run-down house that had easily seen better days. He flopped down on the couch with an exhausted sigh as Tifa began to fan herself in the corner.

"Sure is hot here," she muttered.

Cait Sith turned to her. "Well, it _is_ a desert prison, Tifa," he told her. "No one's gotten out of here before." Then, as an afterthought, he added, "Well, it happened once, but I don't remember how…"

Suddenly, the door burst open and in the frame stood Barret. Zack instantly shot to his feet and Tifa stumbled to his side. Cait Sith took refuge behind them as Barret raised his gun arm. "Didn't I tell you not to come here!?" he yelled at them, and everyone raised their hands. Zack's inched toward the handle of Basara.

"Calm down, Barret," he said, and felt his whole body go rigid when the gun on his arm clicked.

"Ju……just hold on for a second!" Cait Sith began. "We just want to talk! You'll understand if you just hear us out!"

Barret opened fire and Zack, Tifa, and Cait Sith all ducked down, bracing for the hits that would end their lives. But they never hit. There was a muffled grunt and a man slumped down from behind the couch, riddled with bullet holes. Barret lowered his arm, and Zack, Tifa, and Cait Sith all straightened, breathing a unified sight of relief.

Barret sighed and looked away from them. "Didn't want none of ya to get involved…" he muttered in answer to their silent question.

The door leading to another room burst open and in came Tiffania, Yuffie, and Red XIII came in. The redhead stomped right up to Barret and poked him hard in the chest, a condescending look in her eyes. "Hey that's Zack's line! …It's too dangerous, I can't let you get involved…' blah, blah blah…" She looked at Zack and made the mouth motions with one of her hand, rolling her violet eyes at him. He rolled them back.

Tifa put her hand on Barret's arm. "Yeah. We're already involved in this," she told him gently.

Tiffania's eyes softened. "We saw you and hurried here." She dropped her arms and bent her head slightly. "Barret, just tell us what's going on," she quietly requested.

Barret put his large hand over his face. "You guys…" he muttered.

Red XIII sat on his haunches and regarded Barret calmly. "I heard that the murders at the Battle Arena were done by a man with a gun-arm. …Was that you?" he asked.

Barret shook his head. "There's another…another man that got a gun grafted inta one of his arms. It was four years ago…"

****

An Hour Later…

Sephiroth fumed. The aura seeping off him reeked of anger and malice toward a singular, chocobo-haired man, who was currently MIA in the Chocobo Racing wing of the Gold Saucer. Aeris was glancing left and right, looking for Cloud, who she couldn't see, either.

"I told him to stay _right there_," Sephiroth growled, and Aeris actually jumped a little at his harsh words. "After all of the _trouble_ I went to get you, _he runs off_."

"Maybe he didn't do it on purpose?" Aeris ventured, and instantly regretted it when Sephiroth rounded on her.

"HE DIDN'T DO IT ON PURPOSE?!" he shrieked at her and she shrank down. All noise stopped in the room, just as a familiar voice echoed in the room from the riders' waiting area.

"Yeah, I got it."

Sephiroth and Aeris' eyes met, both wide. Zack! Sephiroth grabbed Aeris' hand and rushed out of the automatic doors just as Zack realized how quiet it was in the room. He looked around and noticed the doors close. "Huh?" he muttered, scratching his head.

Ester smiled at him. "Then, good luck," she told him sincerely, and he turned his attention back to her.

"Yep."

Outside, Sephiroth ran straight into a random tunnel that ended up leading them to the Battle Arena. Once they came out of the tunnel, Aeris let out a cry and fell directly to her knees. Sephiroth tugged at her.

"Aeris! What is it?" Sephiroth seemed genuinely concerned as Aeris ripped her hand from his and covered her ears with both of them.

"C-Crying," she mumbled to him. "The Planet is crying…"

Suddenly, Sephiroth heard it. A shriek, not the Planet's Cry, because he had heard this shriek before, back when he had destroyed Nibelheim.

It was Cloud.

"Aeris, stay here," he told her, and not staying around to see if she heard him or not, he ran up the stairs three at a time, ran through the lobby in a black and silver blur, and ran into the arena just in time to see Cloud, surrounded by blood-his own blood-pitch forward onto the floor.

All around him he heard gasps and the crowd quieted. Cloud's opponent, the Turk Cissnei, watched him with shocked hazel eyes.

"Sephiroth?" she asked in wonder. "I thought you were dead."

Sephiroth narrowed his eyes at her. "I get that a lot," he snapped, seeing her grip tighten on her shuriken. "Did you do this?" He gestured to Cloud.

Cissnei didn't seem very afraid of him, only wary. "Yes," she answered him. "He was my final opponent."

Sephiroth stalked over to the unconscious blond and lifted him up. Cloud's head lolled back, revealing his extra pale face and neck, and closed eyelids. He turned his gaze back to Cissnei. "Couldn't you see he was blind?!" The crowd gasped in unison.

Cissnei looked surprised, taking a startled step back. "He…he fought extremely well," she told him. "Three hours straight, I watched." She shook her head in denial. "He can't be blind!"

"Well, he _is,_" he snapped at her. "And thanks to you, he could very well _die_!" His anger mounted, and a spark caught the pools of Cloud's blood on fire. Instantly, the crowd flew into a panic and began to scatter. "You listen to me, Turk," he spat the last word. "If I ever see you near Cloud, Aeris, or I _ever_ again, you won't live to see the next day." And with that, he turned on his heel and walked through the flames he had caused, exiting in a most beautiful and ethereal way.

Cissnei stared after him, her entire body numb.

****

After Zack's Race…

Zack wiped his brow and flopped down on one of the chairs in the riders' waiting room. He wondered what had happened just before he and Ester had come up into the main lobby of the Chocobo Racing wing, but all the answers he got had the same gist to them, "lovers' spat."

Ester walked in, smiling at Zack. "Congratulations!!" she crowed. "Now you're home free!" Zack grinned and stood up. "Oh yeah, the owner told me to give you this letter to you when you won." She handed him a folded up piece of paper.

__

Boy,

if you're reading this letter, then you must've won. And won a victory that I am sure you earned. I heard Dyne from Ester. Now that you are victorious, I promise that you and all your friends will get a full pardon, and you all will be set free. And also, by way of apology. I prepared a little gift for you to use on your journey. Sorry I couldn't be there to tell you this in person, but I'm a very busy man.

Sincerely, Dio

Zack blinked at the note. "Gift?" he muttered, wondering what it could be. In his pocket, his cell phone buzzed. He absently reached in and pulled it out. "Zack here," he answered.

Tiffania was on the other line, and she sounded exuberant. "Zack, isn't this great!?" she cried through the phone. "The assistant manager just stopped by and dropped off a buggy for you! Now you can go over deserts and rivers no problem."

Zack's violet eyes brightened at this. "All right, no more camping out!"

"Okay, Zack. I'll be waiting outside." He could hear the smile in his "sister's" voice. He smiled, too, as he hung up. He turned to Ester again. "Thanks, Ester. I'll assumed you'll be my manager if I ever come back to do this for fun?"

Ester smiled and nodded. "You're a very promising rider, Zack. I'll always be happy to be your manager whenever the chocobo racing spirit strikes you."

Zack winked at her. "Glad to hear it."

****

With Sephiroth, Cloud, and Aeris…

Beads of sweat trickled down Aeris' brow as she worked to heal Cloud's horrendous wounds. She already had gotten one sealed together with her magic, and it had tired her absolutely out. She was trying her best with Cloud's other one, but she wasn't making much progress, and it was still bleeding a little. Sephiroth paced in the corner of the room.

"Can't you work faster?" he demanded, and Aeris' concentration broke. She pressed a large pad of gauze to Cloud's wound and turned her head toward Sephiroth with a huff.

"Thanks to you, now I'm all out of my reserves!" she berated him. "It'll have to heal naturally." Sephiroth's glare didn't intimidate her. "Don't try to get me to use my life force or something to help him! I can't continue to try this, or I'll overwork myself to the point of passing out! Do you really want two unconscious allies on your hands, hmm?"

Sephiroth's eyes narrowed, but he turned and laid down on the other bed in their room in the Haunted Mansion Inn. Aeris grabbed the roll of gauze and wrapped it firmly five times around Cloud's stomach before tying it up. She sat back on her heels with a sigh, before fully falling onto her back. "There. That's the best I can do."

She got no reply as she hefted a large yawn and suddenly realized that it was very comfortable, laying on the floor of the hotel room. "It's been quite a long day," she murmured softly, blinking slowly as the ceiling above her began to get fuzzy. "So tired…" She closed her eyes in another blink, but they did not open. She was fast asleep.

Sephiroth, worried a little by Aeris' sudden silence, rolled over and looked down, only to see her fast asleep on the floor. A slip of the moonlight from outside fell upon her, giving her skin an ethereal glow to it. For a moment, Sephiroth found himself entranced by the glow on her skin, how her brown bangs were gently laying on her cheek, her chest gently raising and lowering with every breath she took…

__

"Aeris," Zack said, relieved. "We made it."

Aeris raised her head from where she was praying. Slowly, she drew her gaze up Zack, before finally meeting his eyes. She gave a small, apologetic smile, before Masamune burst through her stomach.

Sephiroth drew back from the vision with a harsh snap, staring wide-eyed at Aeris, who slept on peacefully. Shaking the vision, he swung his legs out over the bed and dropped quietly onto the floor beside Aeris. Quickly, he picked her up and lay her on the bed he had only just occupied, before grabbing Masamune on the way out of the door.

He felt sorry for any monsters that dared cross his path that night.

* * *

**~END:** Yeah, I feel sorry for them, too. Sorry (again) for the horribly long wait for this chapter, I had Finals, and then when I went to update before the end of the schoolyear, the Library across the street was closed for Inventory and cleaning. So, to my dismay, I had no way to update until today. And just because you guys have been so very patient with me, I'll be updating tomorrow, too! Cause you deserve it.

What to look forward to next chapter: Zack is reunited with his parents! Aww, aren't I sweet? Hee hee. That, and there's a little celebration in Gongaga for Zack…that Zack isn't too happy to go to.

Demand updates. Updates happen.


	12. Part I: Chapter Eleven

Blind Soul  
By BlueFox

**_DO NOT COPY MY STORIES!!_**

**_If anyone wants to post my stories anywhere else, please just ASK and then give me credit for writing it. PM with any requests._**

**~INTRO**: Ah, a new chapter today, like I promised yesterday. Before anyone asks, Shay, Maren, and Rachel are all real people, in fact they are some of my best friends at school. Amelia and Jaccsn are characters my friend Sarah created and I am using with permission. And yes, I stole that scene near the end from FF8.

**~ABOUT FLAMES:** If you decide to flame this story because of the few OCs in it, or for some other reason, it will be commented on, and laughed at publicly. You've been warned.

**~DISCLAIMER: **(insert favorite one here)

**Part I  
Chapter Eleven**

__

"Make it all worthwhile."

Sephiroth drew back from the vision with a harsh snap, staring wide-eyed at Aeris, who slept on peacefully. Shaking the vision, he swung his legs out over the bed and dropped quietly onto the floor beside Aeris. Quickly, he picked her up and lay her on the bed he had only just occupied, before grabbing Masamune on the way out of the door.

He felt sorry for any monsters that dared cross his path that night.

* * *

Zack felt a little numb as he stared ahead of him. The other members of AVALANCHE all shifted a bit in their seats, Tifa sending him a curious look, Tiffania a knowing one, while all of the others just gazed out of the window at what they had found.

A town in the middle of a forest.

Tifa reached out and put her hand on Zack's arm. She felt a little surprised when he flinched and then gave her a distant look. "Yeah, Tifa?" he asked her.

"Is there something wrong, Zack?" she asked him softly.

Zack shook his head, before turning to face the forest again, his face broken out into a large smile. "Nope, nothing's wrong," he told her. "That's just my hometown, is all."

Everyone's heads (except Tiffania and Tifa's) snapped to him. Yuffie seemed to have gotten over her motion sickness and was bouncing in her seat with joy. "Really? Canwegoincanwegoincanwegoin?" she asked him.

Everyone started to join in with Yuffie's efforts to get Zack to let them in, and Tiffania laughed a little. "Since when do we need _Zack's_ permission to go into a town?" she asked them, and it suddenly grew silent. "I mean, just because he's the leader doesn't mean we _have_ to listen to him, and all."

Suddenly, the engine revved and Zack sped the car forward straight into the trees. Instantly, Tifa grabbed the side of the door, Barret grabbed the back of Tifa's seat, Cait Sith fell off his Mog, Red XIII gripped the floor of the car with his claws, Yuffie grabbed her stomach, and Tiffania threw her hands up as high as she could, breaking out into peals of laughter.

"WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE!" Cait Sith cried as his poor little cat body tumbled around in the extra row of seats in the back.

"I DON'T FEEL SO GOOD!" announced Yuffie, doubling over, looking an ominous green.

Zack began to join his 'sister' in laughing when he heard his comrades' reactions. Red XIII began to howl, Barret was swearing up a storm, and Tifa was screaming.

"WEEEEEEEEEEEE!" Tiffania cried, before Zack suddenly swerved the car into one of those cool stops where they spin and kick up a cloud of dust. Tiffania opened her door and jumped out, giggling like mad as she spun around like a five year old. Red XIII slunk out, his four legs shaking. When Barret and Zack got out, Barret immediately began to yell at Zack, telling him, "If you ever drive like that again, Imma kick your ass!" Zack was just as ecstatic as Tiffania, all starry-eyed. Yuffie immediately fell into the bushes and lost the contents of her stomach. Tifa fell to her knees, patting the ground appreciatively, and Mog pulled Cait Sith haphazardly out of the back of the buggy.

Zack turned to face the town he had spun into, only to see people curiously poking their heads out of their windows and their doors. Zack breathed in the fresh Gongaga mountain air, then spread his arms wide and called, "Zack Fair has returned!"

Almost immediately, it seemed like the whole town ran out of their doors and jumped out of their windows to greet Zack. Apparently he had been well known in his town. A certain girl, around fifteen, cautiously approached Zack. She was a cute girl, red hair in pigtails, freckles covering her face, her blue eyes full of shyness. Zack saw her and smiled.

"Rachel, is that you?"

Rachel suddenly brightened, happy that Zack remembered her, and ran over to him, throwing her arms around him in happiness. "Zack, it really is you!" she cried.

Zack hugged Rachel back, grinning down at her. "Yeah, yeah, it is me."

A blonde girl followed behind Rachel. She had wide blue eyes and her hair was in a small ponytail, the rest allowed to flow freely. She fiddled absently with the cross-ring on her right hand as she gazed at Zack. She, too, looked about fifteen. "Zack, we were all worried you'd never come back," she told him.

Zack lifted his violet eyes from the attachment known as Rachel, to the blonde. "Shay, it's good to see you again," he greeted. "Besides, I would've made it back, somehow."

"You could've at least sent us a note or something," she reprimanded him, putting her hands on her hips.

Zack rolled his eyes and stretched out a hand. "Stop being so serious, Shay. At least give me a welcome hug," he told her.

Shay stared at his hand for a few seconds, before sprinting forward and hugging him tightly. "We missed you, you dumb monkey," she told his shirt.

"You're a monkey, Shay." A brunette came into the fray, tall and flat chested, with sharp hazel eyes.

"Still using that comeback, eh, Maren?" Zack said, looking at her. Shay and Rachel let go of him and he stretched out a hand. "I know you're not a huggy-huggy kind of person, so a handshake would be enough, right?"

Maren swatted away his hand and embraced him briefly. "It's been seven years, Zack," she told him. "You've missed a lot."

"You'll have to fill me in," he told her. Then he remembered AVALANCHE. Turning a bit red, he brandished a hand to the ragtag group behind him. "Introduce yourselves, guys."

Tifa was the first to go. She fiddled a bit with her gloves as she smiled at the townspeople. "I'm Tifa Lockheart, and I come from Nibelheim," she greeted. "I specialize in martial arts."

Barret coughed, and several people gasped at the gun on his arm. "Hey, I'm Barret Wallace, an' I'm from North Corel."

Red XIII raised a paw in greeting. "I am Red XIII, and I hail from…" Before the large feline could finish his sentence, several little kids had bounded over to pet 'the big, pretty kitty.' Red XIII sighed and accepted his fate.

Cait Sith fell to a similar situation, and Yuffie instantly made friends as energetic as her. When it came to Tiffania's turn, she was nowhere in sight. Zack looked around, but he didn't see hide nor hair of Tiffania. Scratching his head, he shrugged, before turning toward his house.

Standing on the front step was his family; his mother, Amelia, with a bright smile on her face as she reached up an absently pet at her hair, falling out of her bun, and his father, Jaccsn, his broad arms crossed, a proud expression upon his bearded face, and a twinkle in his violet eyes. Suddenly, Zack found himself running through the crowd to his parents, spreading his arms. Amelia ran forward to meet him, and they embraced each other tightly, Zack feeling tears come to his eyes as Amelia let herself go in her son's arms.

"Hey, Mom," he murmured weakly, noticing the gray hairs streaking through her black strands. "It's been so long…"

Amelia nodded vehemently as she stepped back, raising a shaking hand up to wipe her tears. Jaccsn came over and wrapped his arm around Zack's shoulders, before giving him the noogie of his life. "That's what ya get for worryin' us, Zack!" he reprimanded half-heartedly.

Zack backed out of the noogie, laughing. "It's good to see you, Dad," he said to Jaccsn.

Rachel and Shay came up behind Zack. Tifa followed, wanting to meet Zack's family. As she was being introduced, Shay tapped Zack on his shoulder. "So, where's Cissnei?" she asked.

Zack turned a red as he remembered that conversation.

__

"How's my mother doing?" Zack inquired, glancing at the dark house that he used to live in.

"She's worried about you. Now that you've gotten yourself in such a mess she's worried you won't find a wife." Cissnei raised her arms in an 'I don't know' kind of way, shaking her head.

Zack shook his, too. "That's so ridiculous," he told her with a chuckle.

"Nice parents huh? They're doing quite well," she told him.

"I see." Zack shrugged. "If they're well that's good."

Cissnei smiled. "Honestly."

"What about yours?" Zack asked after a moment.

"I was raised by Shinra."

There was a long pause after that. Zack nervously scratched the back of his head, trying to ease the tension he felt. "Anyway, Cissnei… Could you talk to my mom for me?"

She nodded. "It'd be my pleasure," she told him.

"Just don't tell them anything that would make them think you were my bride-to-be," he advised-more like pleaded.

Cissnei giggled a bit. "I've already told them."

"Cissnei!" Zack sunk to the floor. "How could you?!"

"Uh, we, uh…" Zack fumbled to find an excuse that didn't seem too 'out there.' "She…she had to…stay in Midgar." It was honest enough, last time he had heard about Cissnei she was in Midgar. Suddenly, Zack cringed, remembering a bit too late that Cissnei had conveniently disappeared not long after his 'death.' His audience seemed to accept it, though.

Amelia sniffed, straightening her hair and smiling at her son, her pride and joy. "Well, get your friends and come inside. We have a surprise for you."

Zack, always one for surprises, whistled to his friends. When they looked his way, he beckoned for them to come and join him. They did so.

****

A Little Bit Later…

Zack and Yuffie both let out incredible sighs and slumped back in their chairs, having just polished off a huge amount of food. There were similar reactions around the table in which AVALANCHE had eaten.

Amelia, her eyes sparkling merrily, leaned forward on the table. "So, Zack, do you think you could go to the dance tonight, or do you have to leave?"

Zack's eyes opened halfway. "Mmm? Dance? For what?" he asked her.

Jaccsn laughed from his seat. "Your birthday, Zack!" he cried joyously. "Today's the day you turn 24!"

Amelia smiled. "The entire town throws a dance for you, after hearing how successful you were in SOLDIER," she told her son, who was blinking very fast at the dawning of this news. "And finally the birthday boy is here to spend it with us."

There was a momentary silence, before it was broken by AVALANCHE, encouraging him to go, to have some fun. Yuffie broke into the birthday song about halfway through their clamorings, and Zack laid his forehead down on the table and chuckled at the horribly off-key rendition of 'Happy Birthday.'

"Well, if you guys put it that way, there's no way I can say no," he told them.

****

The Dance!

After bowing to his latest partner, Zack stumbled off to a lone balcony in the large and new school that had been built during his absence. It was funny he hadn't noticed it before during his exceptionally brief stay in Gongaga while on the run with Cloud.

Blowing upwards into his hair, Zack sneaked a peek upward into the sky. Just his luck-he caught sight of a shooting star careening across the night sky. Zack closed his eyes and made a wish.

__

I wish that we will get Cloud and Aeris back soon, and that all of this madness would end.

Zack opened his eyes and turned around. His breath caught and his face vaulted at the sight of Tifa, whom he had not seen earlier due to all of the girls clamoring to get a dance in with the birthday boy. Her hair was left to fall freely down her back, and she wore a light blue dress that accented her…erm, body, really well, leaving any man breathless. She was wearing matching high heels, and was wearing her Power Wrist accessory as a complement to the dress. Her eyes were closed, and he got the idea that she had just been wishing on the same star he had been.

He wondered what she wished for.

As if she knew someone was staring at her, Tifa opened her eyes and looked around, before meeting Zack's violet gaze. He turned a bit red when she gave him a knowing smile and pointed up. Zack tilted his head a bit to the side, looking like the epitome of innocence. Tifa giggled and walked over to him.

"Enjoying your birthday, Zack?" she asked him, putting her hands behind her back. Zack numbly picked at his father's old tuxedo (worn at his wedding to Amelia) and grimaced slightly at the smell.

"Doesn't feel like my birthday," he told her honestly. "I don't even feel 24."

"Well, you are," she told him. Glancing back, and noting the end of a song, she looked up and smiled at him. "You want to dance?"

"………"

Tifa gave him a knowing nod. "Oh, I see, you only dance with people you like, hm?" she teased, and Zack threw her a surprised look. How had she come to that conclusion? Tifa took his chin in her hand. "Look into my eyes," she murmured softly, her breath floating across the small space between them, smelling like cinnamon, with a hint of cherry. Or was it cherry with a hint of cinnamon? Zack felt his thoughts slowly drifting away as he met Tifa's burgundy eyes. "You-are-going-to-like-me. You-are-going-to-like-me," she chanted, letting go of his chin as they both laughed a little. She cast him a sly look. "Did it work?"

"I never disliked you in the first place," he reprimanded her playfully. "That was unnecessary."

Tifa laughed. "So you say. Will you dance with me?"

"I'm tired of dancing," he admitted.

Tifa rolled her eyes and grabbed his hand. "Come on; one more won't hurt." She pulled him away from the cool night air and back into the stuffy room with the clear ceiling-how did they afford _that?-_and spun toward him suddenly, causing him to stumble a bit, grabbing onto her arm. Tifa took that hand and held it to her waist while taking his other hand in hers. She put the hand holding his to her waist up onto his shoulder, and began to lead him in the dance.

It didn't go so well. Zack's heart was outmaneuvering his body and his brain, and therefore he stumbled a lot and fell against Tifa one time too many. Finally, when it seemed like the song had ended (the music sounded like it was fading out) he started to head for his balcony, going extremely red in the face. However, Tifa lunged forward and grabbed his hand. "It's not over yet," she told him, and he gave her a kicked puppy look that had no effect on her whatsoever. She put his hands in the appropriate places again, and they tried to dance together again. This time, they actually collided with a couple, which caused them to stumble. When the man of the couple sent them a glare, Tifa stuck her tongue out at them and Zack averted his gaze, going even redder than before.

The song then abruptly changed, and Zack and Tifa held their hands out in between them. Finally, a dance the ex-SOLDIER knew! This time, he performed the dance perfectly, his embarrassment from before slowly fading away, until the final time Tifa spun back into his arms and they ended, facing each other, their faces maybe and inch apart. Zack caught wind of the cherry-cinnamon smell on Tifa's breath, and distantly wondered what it would taste like.

Suddenly, there was a loud BOOM sound coming from above them, and both of their heads snapped up, to see fireworks exploding in the sky, green, red, gold, blue, and Zack's favorite, purple. He smiled at looked down at Tifa, who was also smiling as she looked up at him.

Time seemed to freeze for them, as they realized just how close they were…

One inch, and their lips would touch…

* * *

**~END:** AHAHAHAHA! Cliffie-kind of! Will Zack and Tifa…KISS?!?!?! Oh well, I guess you won't find out till next time! Haha! And yes, I stole that scene from FF8, like I mentioned earlier. But I fixed it around a bit to fit Zack's character, and the setting of FF7.

Next time: More Tiffania and the unveiling of her Rescuer/Rival from Midgar, Flame teaches Cloud more about his ability, CLERIS, and the end of Zack's b-day celebration.

Demand updates. Updates happen.


	13. Part I: Chapter Twelve

Blind Soul  
By BlueFox

**~INTRO:** This chapter… it gave me hell. Seriously, you guys, I'm not gonna lie. I still don't think it's up to stuff, but that could just be me being paranoid. Bleck.

Also, this chapter is dedicated to someone. *looks amused* I bet half of you guys are all tensed and hoping I say your name, right? I know that I do that in fics I read (and half of the time, it's not even me 8D) that say there's a dedication or a special thanks. Anyway, this chapter is dedicated to **Kaarina Helvete** who I honestly thought had died after the end of Blind SOLDIER, because she hadn't reviewed this at all.

However, recently she's visited this fic and has been reading it and reviewing every chapter (or was it every 3 chapters?), and her reviews just give me mixed emotions, torn between happiness and disappointment. See, she's not one who holds back in her reviews, she let's them out in full force. She tells me what she hates, what she likes, and her exact thoughts on the rest of the story and the character development. Her reviews are actually some of the longest ones I've gotten for this story, and I have fun reading them, and replying. The questions she asks makes me reveal some of the story further on I'd rather not, but it's vague. And the recent PM I got that went into detail about this fic as a whole so far just has kind of snapped me out of a stupor.

At the moment, I'm working on chapter 20 of this story, and I really just got the urge to discontinue this story. I knew where I wanted to go with it, what I was going to do, but… it was the problem of how I was going to get there. the trial of doing that was encompassing my thoughts and taunting me so much, giving me a lot of stress, that I almost gave up. Of course, I took a nice long break between chapters 18 and 19, maybe that helped. Anyway, her reviews and PMs have me thinking on different train tracks and giving me ideas I can fit in to lead up to what I want to do and even give this fic a sound ending. I'm working on the chapter outline again, so hopefully it won't end up being the 42 chapters that was originally planned if I went along with the FF7 storyline. Basically, I guess what I'm saying is I might go against my principles and actually have Kaarina beta-read. Maybe. I'll have to sleep on it.

So guys, if you want a chapter and a whole AN dedicated to you, SEND IN-DEPTH REVIEWS IN! But really, you don't have to. Kaarina, I hope you don't stop. Guys, I just love to hear your thoughts on this fic, and where you think it's going. Because now, I have a new fervor with which I want to write this fic, and when it's over, I know I'll have a beautiful sense of fulfillment blossoming in my core.

**~EXTRA NOTE:** RIP, Michael Jackson. And I rewrote the outline of this fic. Instead of 42 chapters, it's been cut down to 38. It's still alot, but...

**~ABOUT FLAMES:** If you decide to flame this story because of the few OCs in it, or for some other reason, it will be commented on, and laughed at publicly. You've been warned.

**~DISCLAIMER: ****(insert favorite one here)**

**Part I  
Chapter Twelve**

__

"I don't want to leave the comfort of this place."

Time seemed to freeze for them, as they realized just how close they were…

One inch, and their lips would touch…

* * *

The grass beneath Tiffania's trudging steps made them almost silent. She had so many fond memories in this small little town of Gongaga, including when she had been taken to the annual 'Zack's Birthday' dance two years prior. It was one of the best times of her life, but she'd rather not go and intrude on Zack's special day (or night, if you wanted to be technical about it) with her memories. So she had quickly ducked out of town and walked out to this place on the outskirts, this memorable place.

She had been here to see it explode.

Countless people had been killed, and she herself had been wounded in the explosion, before going to help those trapped beneath the rubble. Despite Flame and the villagers' pleas for her to stay behind….

Pain exploded from Tiffania's chest all of a sudden and she stumbled forward, leaning against the ruined Reactor for support as body-wracking coughs overwhelmed her senses. Her breath was cut short and she tasted the coppery tang of blood in her mouth. There was a lot of it, so much…this was the worst bout yet. One hand automatically went up to her mouth and covered it as she felt herself sway.

After the bout of bloody coughing finally ended, Tiffania weakly sank to her knees as a cold sweat broke out on her forehead and shivers ran up and down her body. A wave of heat washed over her body, nausea following swiftly in its wake, as saliva began to collect beneath her tongue. Reaching up with a shaking hand, she used the back of her glove to wipe the sweat from her forehead and the blood from her mouth, before pivoting and allowing her body to slump against the ruined Reactor, panting heavily for her lost air.

"I suppose that means you aren't up for another challenge?" murmured a soft voice, not very far from her.

Slowly, she opened her violet eyes and looked up, only to meet just as bright glowing blue eyes, framed by a fringe of reddish hair. She couldn't see much else, but she knew that it was her Rescuer/Rival from Midgar, the one who quoted 'Loveless.'

Tiffania shook her head. "Can't even stand, and I've already bled…" She chuckled softly as the world began to go a little fuzzy and her breaths increased in speed and amount. He turned his head a little to the right, narrowing those luminescent blue eyes at her in slight concern. "You win by…default…" Her eyes slid shut and her body went limp. A soft breeze blew before he made his advance forward, warily, as if this was a trick.

When she didn't move, he furrowed his brows in concern. Reaching out, he placed his hand on her forehead and hissed slightly at the heat he could feel even through the leather. Without another thought, he wrapped her feverish body in his arms, turned with a flourish, and opened his singular black wing before heading toward Gongaga, where he knew Zack Fair was.

* * *

In his dream, Cloud could hear birds chirping close by, the running of a stream somewhere, and a gentle song of nature sounding like a gentle lullaby in the background. Of course, he couldn't see any of it, but mere glimpses of green and brown in his peripheral vision.

The man that smelled like sea-salt stood beside him, the smell overpowering, yet comforting. 'Cloud, why do you insist on trying to find me all of the time?' he whispered, and Cloud only shrugged, feeling a little guilty.

"I…don't know. I guess…I feel secure when you're around."

'I won't be around forever.'

"I know."

Silence fell again as the man in silver and blue shifted. Curiously, Cloud watched the two colored separate from the mass of the mixture in a long appendage, like an arm. He heard the rustle of wings, and figured that a bird had landed on whatever the man had held out.

"Um…"

'Yes?'

"Why…why can I see you?" Cloud asked dumbly, then shook his head. "No, wait, let me rephrase that…" The silver-blue man chuckled a bit as Cloud heard the bird fly off. He lowered his arm. "I mean, I can only see…silver and blue, and I don't understand why."

'That's the Lifestream,' he replied. 'Each person has a certain color Lifestream to them, though some know how to hide it.' He took a few steps away, then spread both of his arms-two long appendages. 'My colors happen to be silver and blue. Not many people have two colors-only Cetra do.'

"Is it like…seeing the Lifestream in the monsters?"

'Yeah, like that. Except, these help you to not fight your friends. Monsters don't know how to hide the Lifestream, but Turks do. Materia has no choice but to glow with Lifestream, and they are so many colors because Cetra powers course through it,' he explained. 'You may not be able to do it unconsciously yet, unless you're with me, but soon enough it'll become second nature, and you can tell who is who just by their Lifestream color.'

Cloud nodded, understanding it. "But you're a little fuzzy."

The appendages lowered. 'Yeah, that's because you haven't mastered it yet, it's still fairly new to you. When you've mastered it, or concentrated hard enough, you'll be able to see the Lifestream coursing through one's veins, and by the amounts in certain places, you'll be able to tell what part of the body that is.'

For some reason, Cloud felt happy at this news. "So I'll be able to see? In a way?"

'Yep. In a way.'

More silence enveloped them. "By the way…" Cloud began, "what's your name?"

'Right, I've never told you, have I?' He chuckled again. 'My name is Flame. Flame Aaeul.'

A few seconds after learning Flame's name, Cloud's fogged eyes slid open and he realized he was in a bed somewhere, by the textures of everything. Slowly, he reached back and put his hands on what he hoped was a safe area on the bed and slid himself into a sitting position, moving his head around. He heard soft breathing in the room, and knew it was Aeris; Sephiroth's dominating appearance didn't seem to be in the room.

_Concentrate, concentrate,_ he thought to himself, hardly feeling the pain from his singular-when'd that…Aeris-wound as he pressed his body and mind to allow his Lifestream-vision to kick in. Sweat collected above his eyebrows and along his hairline, but finally it happened.

A pink and green glow settled warmly within his sight and he sighed softly, turning his head and knowing, just knowing, that it was Aeris who he saw in his sight. He smiled softly and then decided to look down at himself.

His mouth opened a little…

He was glowing blue…and _green_.

Two colors…did that make him a Cetra, like Aeris had claimed? Cloud wanted to ask Flame, but felt that he had called on the man a bit too much. He decided to leave Flame alone for a few days, let him figure out his own things and ask him only if he didn't understand something.

Slowly, Cloud extended his legs until his feet touched the ground and looked around slowly, making sure Sephiroth wasn't in the room. He couldn't see any other colored Lifestream, so he inched his way over to the pink and green colored Lifestream, and slowly, experimentally kneeled down until he felt his knees touch the floor. He placed his elbows on the bed and just watched softly at the slight movements her Lifestream made that Flame's did not. He guessed it signaled her breaths.

Cloud narrowed his eyes and concentrated further, trying to form running veins of Lifestream instead of one big glob. As he did so, he could feel his mako start to boil, and then the pain from the wound Aeris hadn't healed disappeared-his wound had obviously been healed.

And then, he could see her. Not her as a real person, but as Flame had said-running veins of Lifestream. Pink and green. He knew that where most of it collected at the top was her head, and from the looks of it, her hand was draped over her stomach gently. Cloud could feel his heart start to pound as he slowly reached out with his blue-colored hand and laid his on top of her hand.

He felt her stir gently and then she sat up. Cloud shuffled backward and hit the bed. The pain lanced through him and he closed his eyes briefly in pain in a natural reaction. When he opened his lids again, the Lifestream sight was gone, and he was exhausted.

He heard the shift of cloth and then soft footsteps as Aeris approached him. "Cloud? Are you all right?" she whispered groggily. He heard another shift of cloth and realized that she had kneeled down in front of him. Slowly, he nodded, feeling drained. "Are you sure? You look a bit pale."

"Jus' tired," he murmured softly, blinking slowly. Aeris sat beside him and leaned against the bed. He felt her hand slip into his and squeeze softly.

"From what? All of that fighting?" she teased softly, and Cloud nodded. He'd rather not divulge his little secret until much later, when he knew he could do it without thinking about it. Her free hand reached up and ruffled his hair gently, and Cloud felt himself lean into that touch gently. Her hand stopped with his hair and then wrapped around his shoulder in a gentle hug. She slowly let her head come to rest on his shoulder. "You know," she murmured, "I feel lonely sometimes."

"Why?" Cloud asked.

He felt her shrug. "I don't know. Maybe it's because I barely know you or Sephiroth at all," she told him with a little sigh. "Or maybe…it's because I'm not around the friends I know. Tiffania… Zack." Her voice broke and Cloud felt something wet fall onto his shoulder. Startled, he turned his head in her direction. He heard her sob softly as more tears fell.

"Aer…?"

She turned her head and buried her face in his shoulder, letting go of his hand and wrapping it around his chest, letting her tears just fall. Cloud slowly drew his hands up her arms until he came to her shoulders, then wrapped his arms around her and held her gently to him.

"Don't let go," she murmured amidst her tears.

Cloud nodded and breathed in Aeris' hair, the smell of orchids and roses. Together, the two of them sat there in the night, the blind one giving solace to the broken one.

Both of them did not see the silver-haired ex-General watching them with burning eyes from the doorway to the room.

* * *

Zack couldn't do it. He reluctantly moved his face away, turning a bit red, and saw Tifa do the same in his peripheral vision. They stepped away from each other and Zack scratched the back of his head a little sheepishly. "S-Sorry, Tiff," he told her.

Tifa shook her head. "No, no, I should be sorry, really," she told him. They both looked at each other, and laughed at the awkwardness of the situation. Someone tapped Zack on the shoulder and he turned, only to see Maren standing behind him. She pointed behind her.

"There's a man in pink back there who wants to talk to you," she told him, looking a bit bewildered. Zack's brows furrowed. Man in pink? Who…? "He's carrying some unconscious redhead."

Instantly, Zack knew the redhead was Tiffania, though he still couldn't remember the 'man in pink.' He turned to Tifa, but saw that she was over by the snack table, talking with Rachel and Yuffie. With a shrug, he turned and followed Maren's pointer finger to where a man in pink was hiding out in the shadows, holding an unconscious Tiffania.

Violet eyes met blue, and Zack froze midstep. "Gen…"

The figure nodded behind him to the grounds beneath the balcony and then gently flew out of it. Zack vaulted over the edge and landed at the same time as the other, before setting his eyes on him.

"Genesis," he greeted. "What did you do to Tiffania?"

Genesis shook his head. "I did nothing," he told Zack, and the ex-SOLDIER knew that he wasn't lying. "I found her by the ruins of the Mako Reactor on the outskirts of town."

"So you brought her here?" Zack asked.

Genesis nodded. "I knew you would be here. I know that she is traveling with you." He stepped forward and held out the unconscious girl. Zack extended his arms and accepted her from him. Genesis took another step back and opened his wing, preparing to take off.

"Wait." Genesis cast a glance at Zack, looking a little annoyed. Zack drew his eyes up from where he had been examining Tiffania's pale face. "Do you have anything to do with…her still being alive after Sector 7?"

Genesis smiled just a little bit and shrugged, lifting off the ground. "Ask her," he told Zack, before he flew higher and flew into the distance.

Only when he was gone did Zack realize he hadn't quoted from 'Loveless' at all.

* * *

"You can stay another day, if you need it," Amelia worried, looking at Tiffania's bagged eyes and pale complexion.

But the redhead smiled and shook her head. "No, I'll be all right. My friends will take good care of me, don't worry," she assured Zack's mother, who still fretted. "Besides, I'll probably just sleep in the buggy on the way to the next town."

"Ugh," Yuffie moaned beside her. "How can you sleep in that thing with the way Zack drives? It makes me sick." Tiffania shrugged.

"I'm used to stuff like that."

Meanwhile, Zack was saying goodbye to his father and the trio that never seemed too far away from each other. "It was good seeing you, Dad," he said as they clapped each other on the back.

"Same here, son," Jaccsn told Zack. "And next time, bring Cissnei. We've got a lot to discuss about your marriage."

Zack turned a deep shade of red and looked away. Rachel hugged him as he was like that and made him go even darker in color. "It was good seeing you again, Zack," she told him sincerely. "I hope you come back soon."

Zack smiled. "I plan on it. Soon as I can." _Soon as this whole mess is over,_ he thought.

Shay hugged him, too. "I wish I could come with you," she sighed wistfully, but Zack shook his head.

"It's too dangerous for you, Shay," he told her. "I don't want you to get hurt."

Shay looked dejected for a minute, before smiling. "I get it. But you'd better let me in on the next adventure, okay?"

Zack ruffled her hair affectionately. "If you say so."

This time, Maren really wasn't feeling huggy-huggy, so they just shook hands. "If you aren't back in a week, you'd better start sending us letters," she told him.

"Or we'll send Shay to find you," Rachel added, and the four of them shared a laugh. Tifa approached them.

"Hey, Zack, we'd better go. We've got a lot of ground to cover before we make it to Cosmo Canyon," she told him, giving his father and the three girls a smile. Zack nodded and beckoned for the other members of AVALANCHE to head out. Tifa lingered a bit, bowing to Jaccsn and his wife, Amelia, as well as the villagers.

"Thank you for letting us stay and even giving us a complete inventory of items, as well as new weapons," she told them.

Jaccsn sighed, his eyes wandering to Tiffania's retreating back. "It's just too bad we didn't have a good sword to give her," he told Tifa.

"I think she's too attached to her sword to begin using a new one," she told him. "But thank you, anyway."

Amelia laughed a little. "Don't worry, dear. You just take good care of our Zack for us, okay? Make sure he comes back."

"Tifa! Come on, or we'll leave without ya!" called Barret, and Tifa turned, sprinting toward the buggy, but not before turning and waving to Zack's friends and family.

* * *

**~END:** As I was writing the whole second part of this chapter, 'Why' by ayaka came on just as Aeris began to cry. It fit the mood perfectly, and so the words for the rest of the scene just came pouring out smoothly, wouldn't you say? I bet you're curious as to what color Lifestream Zack and the rest of AVALANCHE are, but it won't be revealed until later. Feel free to guess, and if you get any right, I'll give you cookies and treats!

Next time: The buggy breaks down again, SCA arrive in Nibelheim and sparks fly, AERIROTH, ZIFA, and things slowly begin to fall apart for SCA… Ooh, Part I's slowly coming to a close.

Demand updates. Updates happen.


	14. Part I: Chapter Thirteen

Blind Soul  
By BlueFox

**~INTRO:** *pokes muses to see if they're still breathing* This chapter is yet another bitch, and I am so very very nervous about posting it. Parts of it are just… BLAH! The ending is the part I'm most worried about, and some of the SCA scenes are really…they feel like they're rushed.

And now I think my muses are dead cause of it. *soccer kicks them, with no response* Not only that, but I've completely stopped going along the storyline in the script, unless necessary… And as for how the Nibelheim Mansion's laid out, it's simplistic, like in the original game. Okay?

Genesis fans, just thought I'd tell you all that Genny has a BIG HUGE HUMONGOUS PART in this fic. I'm sure you guys will like it. :D And to my new beta, Kaarina, you're gonna get the outline of this fic soon, but you won't beta every chapter. Only the ones after this that I feel like throttling the computer over. So put me in your DocX recipient thingie, and we'll go from there.

And FINALLY! I need EVERYONE to go to my profile, for there is a HUGE ANNOUNCEMENT THAT CONCERNS YOU **_ALL_!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!** Because my ANs for this chapter are long enough, and I can't put it here. AND DON'T FLAME ME FOR IT! Or come beating down my door. Or anything violent like that. Kay? Kay.

**~WARNING:** This chapter's a biggie here people. Like, 17 pages on Word big. But come on, it's _Nibelheim_, you know things are gonna happen.

**~ABOUT FLAMES: **If you decide to flame this story because of the few OCs in it, or for some other reason, it will be commented on, and laughed at publicly. You've been warned.

**~DISCLAIMER:** (insert favorite one here)

**Part I  
Chapter Thirteen**

__

"And I believe, I believed."

Amelia laughed a little. "Don't worry, dear. You just take good care of our Zack for us, okay? Make sure he comes back."

"Tifa! Come on, or we'll leave without ya!" called Barret, and Tifa turned, sprinting toward the buggy, but not before turning and waving to Zack's friends and family.

* * *

The buggy sputtered and Zack's grip on the steering wheel turned white-knuckled under his gloves, violet eyes widening considerably as the car continued forward toward the edge of the Canyon.

"Zack, stop the buggy!" cried Tifa, holding tightly to the inside handle of the door, the one that didn't open. She was starting to think this was another one of Zack's jokes, like when they had made their grand entrance in Gongaga.

"What do you think I'm trying to do?!" he yelled at her, swerving the steering wheel as hard as he could, which only succeeded in ripping the steering wheel straight out of the buggy. "…You are so shitting me."

That one sentence, as well as everyone seeing the steering wheel detached, was enough to throw everyone into a huge tumult, and doors went flying open as everyone dove out of the buggy in time to see it go over the edge of the cliff and explode colorfully down below.

"I thought dat they jes' fixed the damn thing!" Barret fumed down at the flames below them.

Nanaki just put a paw over his eye with a sigh. "They did," he assured them quietly.

"If it weren't for Zack's lousy driving…" Yuffie muttered, feeling a bit green around the edges, and looking the part, too.

Zack, still holding onto the steering wheel, turned a deep shade of red and ducked his head away, having the grace to look ashamed.

Tiffania blinked a few times, then turned her violet gaze to Zack. "Well, Zack, how're we going to get to Nibelheim now?" she asked him.

A heavy silence descended upon the group, and a soft breeze blew, carrying with it Tifa and Tiffania's long hair, and swaying the clothes of some of the other members. Tifa shivered and rubbed her arms, biting her bottom lip as she stared at her boots. She had no desire to return to the ruins of that town, ever. But she knew that it couldn't be helped, that she had no choice if she wanted to bring back Cloud and Aeris. Rubbing her arms again, she risked a glance at Zack, who had an air of solemnity about him as he stared toward the Nibel Mountains that could be seen dotting the horizon.

"I guess…we're walking it."

* * *

Aeris was the first to tense visibly as Sephiroth stopped in front of her at the gates to a small town at the bottom of the Nibel Mountains. It was quiet inside, eerily quiet, and it made her heart pick up just a little bit. Cloud, who was stopped beside her, felt the anxiety rolling off her in waves, and heard the absolute silence enshrouding the place that they had arrived in. His breathing hitched a little, as he turned his head in Aeris' direction. "Aeris…?" he asked, and she squeezed his hand to acknowledge that she had heard, but she wouldn't turn her face toward him. "Where…are we?"

Aeris turned questioning emerald eyes to Sephiroth, who was giving the small town an eerie look, as if he hated the sight of it. Behind his eyes, she thought she saw a flicker of annoyance, as well as and flash of fire, but when she blinked, it was gone. She repressed a shiver as she spoke to him.

"Sephiroth? What is this place?"

Sephiroth turned to Aeris and Cloud, his glowing eyes brighter than usual. "This, Aeris, is Nibelheim."

Cloud gave out a shocked gasp and wrenched his hand away from Aeris, stumbling back. Aeris turned to him and extended her hand, but Sephiroth grabbed her free arm and gave Cloud a cool look. "Yes, Cloud," he told the blond, who had by now backed up into the rusted old truck parked by the entrance. Shocked, he was running his hands along it, unable to form ay sense of what he was feeling, what he had heard. "Nibelheim. Your _home_."

Aeris didn't know what Sephiroth was doing, but just by speaking to Cloud about Nibelheim was enough to cause the chocobo-headed man into a frenzy. "You think I don't _know_ that?!" he snapped angrily at Sephiroth, straight in his direction. Aeris was a bit surprised that he estimated where Sephiroth's head was easily, but was even more surprised by what he did next. Cloud actually lunged at Sephiroth, catching them all off guard, and punched Sephiroth dead in the face. Sephiroth took one step back in surprise, and immediately shoved Aeris behind him to protect her from Cloud's rage.

Aeris had no idea what was going on.

"You destroyed this place!" Cloud screamed, snapping forth another lightning-fast punch that Sephiroth managed to block. "What's it look like? Ruins, isn't it? I'm surprised you spared the truck!"

The air suddenly grew heavy in the little area surrounding them, and the small amount of townspeople who were out and about stopped their daily chores to look over at the little group of newcomers. Cloud held his fists at his side. "_Surgite, inventite…_" Cloud mumbled, and Aeris widened her eyes in surprise. _Fury Brand again?_ she thought in surprise. _Doesn't he know that it's not an offensive Limit Break? _"…_diebus fatalibus!_" Cloud finished the chant as the orange-red glow of the Fury Brand Limit surrounded him. He held out a hand, and, shockingly to Aeris, a huge lightning bolt, not unlike those featured in the attack when she used it, shot out of his hand and headed straight for Sephiroth, who only stared at it in shock, before reaching for Masamune.

"Draw Slash!" Sephiroth spoke, and when he unsheathed Masamune, a white arc of energy flew from his weapon and collided with the Fury Brand attack, causing a magnificent explosion, to which Aeris was tossed into the air and onto her back on the ground. Shaking her head, she sat up and coughed a little, waving her hand. A gust of wind blew around her, and she looked up to see Sephiroth standing above her, staring impassively after Cloud's retreating back.

Instantly, Aeris stumbled to her feet, brushing herself off and made to go after Cloud, but Sephiroth grabbed her hand. She turned and glared back at him, pointedly pulling her arm, but it only ended in Sephiroth tightening his grip on her. There was some sort of burning behind his eyes, a burning that so closely resembled the flames of Ifrit's Hell that Aeris could only shiver in fright.

"Sephiroth, we have to follow him, what if he's hurt?" she said, pulling at her arm again, to no avail.

"I made sure not to hurt him," he told Aeris. "He is a loose spark in this place, I won't tolerate him staying around you when he can do so much harm."

Aeris stomped her foot in what she knew was probably a childish way. "Sephiroth! This is his home! And the way you were talking to him earlier, the way you told him it was his home, it must have angered him. Why don't y-"

The flower girl cut herself off, eyes going slightly wider as she recounted the conversation in her head.

__

"You destroyed this place! What's it look like? Ruins, isn't it? I'm surprised you spared the truck!"

Aeris blinked a few times. "What did he mean by, 'You destroyed this place'?" she asked him.

The fire in Sephiroth's eyes dimmed a little, and it was replaced with a darkness Aeris couldn't begin to comprehend the depths of. "It's because he was right."

The world shrank to a pinpoint, then exploded so loudly it sent Aeris reeling. "Wh-What?" she whispered, rubbing at her arm as Sephiroth let go. "You destroyed this place?"

She received a nod.

Glancing around, Aeris suddenly broke out into a smile, laughing a little, almost sounding a bit hysterical. "No, no, I don't think you did," she told him, but it sounded more like she was trying to assure herself. Sephiroth raised an eyebrow at her. She smiled even more brighter, so bright Sephiroth wondered if the sun would make him blind first, or her smile. She spread her arms out. "Well, it's still here, so obviously you didn't destroy it!"

Sephiroth only blinked at her, before smiling a little himself and shaking his head. Aeris slid her hand into his, feeling just a little awkward at the size difference between them, and pulled him into the town. "Come on, let's go look for Cloud."

Almost immediately after hearing her say that, Sephiroth turned and started to pull her toward the Inn. She gave him a strange look. "No, Aeris, I have a better idea…" he told her, his voice so soft that couldn't help but send Aeris' heart into a strange flutter. Once inside, and once they had gotten three rooms, Aeris made to go to her room, however a tug on her arm from Sephiroth doused those chances and she let him take her into his room.

"Aeris," murmured Sephiroth, turning to her and pressing her against the door, gently. Aeris' heart went further into a full-fledged pounding, and she felt her palms get a little sweaty. "Aeris, please look at me."

Blinking in surprise at how Sephiroth was talking to her, she lifted her eyes up to him. "Um, what is it, Sephiroth?" she whispered, lips barely moving.

"I need you to…" Now he faltered and stood straighter, stepping away from the flower girl and turning his back. Aeris straightened and pushed away from the door, her curiosity winning over her wariness toward his actions.

"Need me to what?" she asked, reaching up to put a hand on his shoulder.

"……………….." Sephiroth turned his head a little, enough so that his soft silver hair spilled over her hand. Smiling a little, she began to idly play with it, but kept her eyes on him. "Promise me something."

"Um, okay."

Sephiroth turned to her and took ahold of the hand she was too slow to let fall beside her. He took a step closer to her and put his free hand on her shoulder. "Promise me, that no matter what, you will continue to journey with me. That no one will take you away from me. Can you promise me?"

Aeris needed to move, she wanted to fidget, but the intensity of Sephiroth's stare into her own kept her glued to her spot, to this position. She considered his words, and wondered briefly on what could have possibly brought this all on. Was it because of Cloud? Was he afraid that Cloud was going to convince her that he was a bad guy, that he really had decimated this town? She briefly recalled hearing Kunsel whispering to Tseng when they thought she was too busy tending to her flowers, talking about 'Nibelheim' and 'Sephiroth' and 'destroyed.' She hadn't thought anything about it, other than thinking it would delay Zack's return to Midgar.

A delay of five years…

"Aeris…?"

"Hmmn?"

"Can you promise me?"

Lost in her own musings, Aeris absently nodded. Looking up, she saw a genuine smile splayed on Sephiroth's face and was a bit surprised. But what surprised her more was also what caught her off guard. It was a soft brush of his lips on hers at first, before they followed with a trail of his lips down her cheek, and a little brush of his nose.

The experience was similar to an out-of-body one…

* * *

Night had fallen by the time AVALANCHE had made it to the ruins of Nibelheim. Or at least, that's what they expected.

Tifa's hands flew to her mouth as she saw the lights flicker on one by one in the houses of the small town.

Zack gave an uneasy shift of his feet, already knowing that they would come across a completely rebuilt town.

"Zack, this can't be real, can it?" Tifa whispered, looking at him. "Can it?"

Nanaki trotted forward and sniffed at the town. "It certainly smells real," he told her. "No scent of a hologram or anything of the sort."

"Shinra can't make holograms…can they?" Yuffie asked Tiffania, who gave a shrug, an uneasy feeling bubbling in her stomach.

Sephiroth, Aeris, and Cloud were here.

Plastering on a smile, she stepped forward into the town, feeling the others' eyes on her. She turned to them. "I'm just gonna go see if the mansion's still here," she told them, then without asking anyone if they wanted to come, turned and sprinted toward the path that led to the mansion. _There's someone there I need to talk to…_

Zack watched her run off, feeling his own unease bubbling in his chest. _"No one can help Aeris… She's the only Cetra left… The…only…one."_

Zack remembered the way Tiffania stared at the Cosmo Candle as she spoke to him, intense, sad, and there was a flicker of another emotion. Determination. Determination for what? Zack had wanted to ask, but he didn't feel like prying into his 'sister's' intentions. Just as long as she didn't double-cross them, he'd be all right.

* * *

Tiffania pressed her hand into the wall, and felt part of it press in. The wall then sunk in and flew open with a loud BANG! A blast of cold, humid air rose up to meet her, and she stepped into it, unafraid. Once she was a few steps down, the wall closed behind her, and she pulled out the Ifrit materia she had gotten from the Shinra boat, letting the warm red glow fill the long spiral staircase in front of her, showing her where each of the fallen stairs were and other such things.

She kept her hand on the wall to her right since there was no railing to hold onto. The blackness and silence pressed on her from all sides, but she couldn't care less, she'd been down here before, she'd seen Zack and Cloud during their experiments, in fact she'd been right next door through the last year of it…

Her foot hit solid stone and she saw the purple cave stretch on before her. She returned the Ifrit materia to its slot and reached into her pocket for the key she kept n the hidden fold of cloth within. Running her hand along the left wall, her fingers finally pressed against a wooden door almost completely hidden beneath the purple wall. Slipping the key into the door, she turned it until she heard a faint click, but before she could push open the door, she heard footsteps to her right.

Relying on instinct, she immediately unsheathed Arcana and moved to decapitate the person approaching her, but managed to stop herself when she recognized the shock of chocobo hair.

"_Cloud_?!"

* * *

Tifa sat in the windowsill of the girls' room, just staring out of the window at the stars above, listening to Yuffie's quiet sleep-breath, and heard a soft knock on the door. Glancing at the door, then at the still-sleeping Yuffie, she quietly jumped down and padded to the door, before opening it.

"Zack?" she whispered in surprise, and he peeked in.

"Mind if I talk to you in here?" he whispered back, noticing Yuffie.

"If you're quiet." For some reason, Zack sneaking over to the girls' room in the middle of the night-while 100 percent Zack Fair it was-made Tifa's heart jump into her mouth. It didn't help that he was coming to see _her_.

"So," she tried to keep her voice light and casual, "what do you need?"

Zack rubbed the back of his neck and sat down on her bed, then jumped right back up when it creaked loudly and Yuffie mumbled something in her sleep as she rolled over. "I need your help with a plan I have," he said to Tifa, whose interest was instantly piqued.

"What plan?"

"A plan to get Aeris and Cloud back with AVALANCHE."

Tifa blinked, then beckoned Zack over to the windowsill, where she hopped up and then Zack followed suit. "Okay, tell me."

"It's not very good, but…" He took a breath and started. "Well, when Tiffania gets back, I want to search the mansion for Sephiroth. I think that's where he'll be, after all, that's where he found out about his birth and all of that stuff." Tifa nodded. "Tiffania should be the one who will try to delay him from Aeris and Cloud. They won't be with him because he probably doesn't want them to find out about what's going on, what his real plan is. So while she's doing that, you and I will find Aeris and Cloud, who will probably be around this town somewhere, and we'll have to convince them to come back to AVALANCHE. I'm sure Cloud'll come back easily, but it might take more to get Aeris, because she always sees the best in people. But with you, me, and Cloud telling her about how Sephiroth destroyed this place, she might see just what Sephiroth is entirely, and come back with us. When that happens, we flee into Mount Nibel, and send a signal to Tiffania."

Tifa cocked her head. "What would that signal be?"

"We summon this." Zack showed her his Mystile, and she saw the Knights of the Round. Tifa whistled softly.

"She'll definitely see that," she told Zack, who smiled and nodded at her, then reached out with his other hand and brushed away a lock of her hair from her face.

"You're stressed out, aren't you?" he asked her.

Tifa dropped her eyes and shrugged. "Why wouldn't I be? You still feel like you're…fading from us."

Zack shook his head. "I still don't know what you mean by that. I'm me, that's all I know."

Tifa rubbed her eyes with the heels of her hand and sighed. "I know, but there just seems to be…a dark aura surrounding you lately," she told him, and his brows shot into his hair.

"Since when?"

The fightress looked up. "Since you first saw Cloud when he was blind. There was just…something off about you from there, but I'd doubt you'd lie to me," she told him, and for once, Zack actually wondered if he had anything he didn't want to tell her… But when he thought about it, he couldn't think of anything.

"I'm not lying, Tifa," he told her sincerely, and she reached over and took his hand.

"I know," she whispered, leaning forward a bit, as if to smell something.

Zack didn't realize he had been leaning forward either, until gently, their lips met. Tifa found her eyes closing, found fireworks lighting up behind her eyelids as they turned their heads to deepen the kiss. They parted briefly to get breath, and Zack's hand snaked up behind her neck, the other behind her waist as he pulled her toward him, and she rested her own hands on his shoulders.

Moments like these…

"EWWWWWW! GUYS, GET A DIFFERENT ROOM! GAWD, I'M NOT OLD ENOUGH FOR ANY X-RATEDNEEEEEEESSSSSSSS!!!"

…Sucked.

Zack separated and turned to Yuffie. "Who asked you to watch, Yuffie?" he chided her, and she giggled behind her hands, and Zack got up to go. He headed to the door and waved to them both as he yawned and left.

Tifa tentatively touched her hand to her lips.

"He…" Yuffie's ears perked and she looked over at Tifa. "He tasted like…apples and bananas."

There was a brief silence before Yuffie started to howl with laughter.

* * *

Cloud hadn't even known how the Lifestream-vision had clicked on, only that it had when he heard Sephiroth's voice, taunting him about Nibelheim being his home. Cloud had seen it being burned. He had seen it, it was one of the earliest memories he had before that five-year blank he drew up when he tried to remember how everything led up to Zack going off to die.

The vision had stayed on as he ran for the mansion, and he had seen the townspeople in the vision, saw them turning toward him, probably wondering why he had caused such a ruckus in the first place.

Somehow, he had found himself down in the place where he knew he and Zack had been kept. It felt familiar to him, in an odd, sick sense, and the mako he 'saw' burned his eyelids. He had found a door leading to a room full of books. He knew because he had tripped on one, and he felt them through his gloves as he stood. Just running his hands along the many spines of the books had an odd calming effect on the blond, and time just seemed to fly by.

And then, as he was exiting, a new form of the Lifestream came into sight.

The form was the same green as the Lifesteam…and mixed with that was a deep purple Lifestream.

Cloud found himself blinking. Two colors meant a Cetra, right? That's what Flame had told him, right?

Suddenly, the figure tensed, before unsheathing a sword and coming straight at him blindingly fast. Cloud took a step back and held up his blue/green hands, and then the figure stopped.

"_Cloud_?!"

That voice was so familiar, yet Cloud felt himself cringing away. The sword went back into the scabbard and the green/purple person-a girl, he could tell from the voice-leaned against a wall beside her. "What are you doing here?" She sounded strained, her voice a pitch too high.

"Who are you? How do you know me?" Cloud asked, feeling a shudder tear through his body.

"Right, of course you wouldn't remember me," the girl laughed, then shook her head. "I'm from AVALANCHE, Tiffania Adams. I was sent out to find Zack after the mission at-hey, is something wrong?"

Cloud felt his eyes grow impossibly wide. He remembered her, from those few times he had heard her in the Seventh Heaven. And he remembered her, from Flame.

__

(Fingers combed through his hair; like Aeris', only slightly larger, stronger.

'Trust me. You'll get here. And then you can cry on one of my shoulders, and Tiffania can cry on the other, and I'm going to hold you both so tight….'__

Tiffania cries? He couldn't imagine a person with such a cheerful voice crying.

'Sometimes. When she's lost someone. And you've both lost so many….'_ The sense of him faded; strengthened for just an instant, as he shoved the blond firmly back. _'The City, Cloud! You and I have a Tiffania-kitten to tickle, so you'd better get her here!'

__

Sea was gone. The voice was gone. And the blackness was back.

…A Tiffania-kitten to tickle….)

"Tiffania?" Cloud tried out her name, and saw her head cock a little.

"Yeah?"

"Flame… I think he misses you."

He 'saw' her straighten. "How do you know about him?" she asked, voice taut.

Cloud shrugged, shifting a bit on his feet. "He talks to me from time to time."

"Can you call him?"

"I haven't heard from him since the Gold Saucer."

"Mm." Tiffania turned back to him. "I'm smiling, Cloud," she whispered, and he saw her reach out, and felt her fingers cup his cheek. She took a step forward and then she leaned her forehead against his, softly. "Tell him, I miss him, too."

Cloud reached up to her hand and took it off his face, and Tiffania took a step away from him, but made no move to pull her hand back. He got the impression she was giving him a small, questioning look. "I'm sure he knows," he told her, smiling. "He wants to see you… He said in the City in the North."

Instantly, Tiffania's hand went slack in his and she turned her head away. "I…see," she whispered, before shaking her head. "Thank you, Cloud, for telling me." She withdrew her hand, and placed it on the wall.

No, it was a door, for she pushed it open, then turned to him. "Do you want…" She hesitated slightly, looking into the room. "Do you want to meet a friend of mine?"

* * *

She made sure Sephiroth was sleeping soundly before she slipped out of their room. Suddenly, on a whim, Sephiroth had decided to relocate to the Shinra Mansion, and when she had asked him why, he had simply told her, "AVALANCHE."

Aeris was a curious girl, and so she found herself completely shocked when she found a secret chamber leading down to the basement. It slammed closed behind her when she was about three steps down, and she had no way to know how to open it, or even see in this place, so she did the only thing that came to mind: she walked down the steps.

Of course, the flower girl kept a hand on the wall to her right as she made her way down, her breath catching when she came across a lost step and wasn't able to see it at all, and how she thought she was going to fall and such, and was infinitely happier when she came to solid ground below.

Far ahead of her, she saw a metal door of some sort, probably leading to a building or something. She didn't even notice the wooden door on her left as she passed it, too intent to find out what the metal door held behind it. She had just reached it and was about to put her hand on it to open it when it slid open automatically for her. The bright light that flooded in momentarily blinded her, but she managed to squeeze open an eye and when it adjusted, she opened her other eye and then walked in.

Little did she know what she was going to find in there…

* * *

"Erm… Tiffania? Where are we?" Cloud asked, noticing that she was the only thing in the entire place he could see…and his Lifestream-vision was starting to fade.

"Hmm? Oh, this is where one of my friends lives," was her reply. He watched her form raise a hand, then knock sharply on something, before she pulled it off. Cloud was sent reeling as a very, very, _very_ dark red form sat up from whatever she had opened.

"Who is it?" came a deep yet soft voice from the red form, and then Tiffania's form wrapped her arms around it.

"Vinnie! It's been quite a while!" she said happily, as the red form raised it hands and pushed her off him.

"Tiffania. I must admit it is nice to see you again, however, I would _appreciate_ it if you did not _hug_ me."

"Taciturn as ever, Vinnie."

"And don't call me Vinnie."

"Whatever you say, _Vince_."

The red form sighed. "I won't have this discussion with you…" it muttered, before it seemed to finally notice Cloud standing there. "………Who is this?"

Tiffania's now-fuzzy form came over and slung an arm around Cloud's shoulder. "This is Cloud. I ran into him on my way down, and decided to introduce you. Cloud, this is Vincent. Vincent, Cloud."

"Pleased to meet you, Cloud," Vincent greeted.

"N-nice to meet you, too."

There was a bit of silence, before Tiffania cleared her throat. "Sorry Vince, but Cloud's, erm, blind."

"I…see."

Cloud turned his head toward Tiffania, to the biggest mass of fuzzy green/purple. "Um, Tiffania? Just curious, but how did you…er, meet, Vincent?"

* * *

__

"Who is it?!" came a voice from inside, and Tiffania let out a surprised yelp as a man in black and red pushed aside the top of the coffin and peered at her through stunning blood red eyes. "…What are you doing here, little girl? You should leave."

Tiffania placed her hands on her hips. "I'm not a little girl. I'm seventeen, thank you!"

The man raised an eyebrow. "Seems little to me." He made to lay back down, but Tiffania lunged forward and grabbed the coffin top. "What is it?"

"You were having a nightmare," she told him, concern shining in her eyes.

The man gave her a leveled stare. "Nightmare… Hmph, my long sleep has given me time to atone."

She returned his leveled stare with a blank one. "Huh?"

"I won't say anymore. Get out, before this mansion becomes the beginning of your nightmare." He wrenched the coffin top from her hands and laid back down. She stared at it petulantly for a few moments, before she rapped on it with her knuckles, then pulled the top off enough to peek in. Her purple eye met his red one. "You're still here."

"Can you at least tell me your name before you go?" she asked.

"……I am Vincent Valentine."

"My name's Tiffania Adams!" she chirped.

"Now go."

****

A Long Time Later…

__

There was a sharp rap on the top of the coffin, before it moved open again. Vincent sighed and opened his eyes, almost knowing it was going to be that Tiffania girl. Didn't he already tell her to leave?

"Vinnie? You still in there?" She sounded a little afraid, and for some reason, that concerned him. That and…why did her voice sound different?

"Tiffania. Did I not tell you to leave moments ago?" he asked her, pushing the coffin top fully away and sitting up. For a moment, he wasn't sure if he was looking at the same person. She definitely was Tiffania, but older, and disheveled, and…were those tears?

"At least you're still here!" she cried, lunging forward and hugging him. "I thought…I thought maybe since Zack and Cloud were here…you'd've been moved."

Vincent, unused to the human contact, pushed the girl away. "I don't understand."

"Vincent, I haven't been here for…four years," she told him. "Obviously, that doesn't seem like a long time to you, you were sleeping again." She shook her head and wiped her tears. "Anyway, I just wanted to ask you…can I stay in this room for a little while? I promise I won't bother you."

Tiffania smiled lopsidedly at Cloud, and told him so. "Anyway, it's…a long story. I just got curious one day, found the combo to the safe, kicked the crap out of the guardian beast, took the key, and went exploring. I found…a new friend by doing so."

Cloud tried to stifle a yawn behind his hand and failed. Tiffania laughed and then stood. "We'd better find someplace for you to get some shut eye," she told him, ruffling his spikes. She made to go to the door, before, turning to Vincent. "Vinnie?"

He raised his red eyes up to her. "Yes, Tiffania?" he asked patiently, knowing what she was going to ask. She had asked him the last time he had seen her.

"Will you come with me?"

Last time, Vincent hadn't wanted to come with her, hadn't felt he had atoned enough. But if his estimation was correct, then he would've been sleeping for thirty years by now. "If I go with you, will I meet Hojo?"

Cloud visibly tensed at the name and Tiffania gave his shoulder a squeeze as her eyes turned hard. "More than likely."

Vincent gave her a leveled look. "You were from Shinra four years ago, weren't you?" he asked her, and she nodded. But taking in her clothes, he saw she wasn't in the uniform of any type of Shinra warrior or employee or anything. "What happened?"

* * *

Vincent stood up, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "Then yes, I will come with you."

* * *

"Oh my God! Cloud!"

The next morning, Tifa had come out of her room to a surprise in the boys' room. The blond, chocobo-haired man was sleeping peacefully in the corner, and a man in black and red with a-was that a _claw?_-gun aimed at her standing beside him.

Footsteps sounded down the hall and Tiffania was suddenly beside her, pushing her back and pushing away the gunman's weapon. "Whoa you guys, whoa!" she said, then winced and put a hand to her chest. Tifa stepped in and went to her friend's side as she started to cough, and the man in black and red raised an eyebrow in concern. Tiffania waved her off. "Tifa, I'm fine, I'm _fine_!"

"O-Okay," Tifa said, then pointed to Vincent. "Who is he?"

"That is Vincent Valentine," Tiffania introduced, quickly wiping a trickle of blood from the corner of her mouth before anyone saw it. Or so she thought. Vincent had already caught sight of it.

"Whassamater?" came a sleepy voice from the corner, and they all turned to see Cloud sitting up in bed. There were more footsteps, rapid, before Yuffie came into the room.

"Tifa, Tiff! Zack needs to see you!" she said, panting for breath as Tifa and Tiffania both stood.

"What is it?" demanded Tiffania.

"Aeris is here."

* * *

AVALANCHE was all waiting outside of the Inn, a story down from where Aeris and Cloud's rooms were. Apparently, Aeris had left behind a note to Sephiroth saying she had found Cloud and had taken him to the Inn for some rest. The note was a lie.

Aeris had come to the Inn knowing AVALANCHE was there, with Cloud. She was going to flee Nibelheim with them. She wouldn't be in Sephiroth's presence any longer. From the records she had read, he had indeed destroyed Nibelheim, horribly wounded Tifa, impaled Cloud, killed all of the townspeople, and had broken Zack's trust in him. It was a wonder how he had survived the drop into the Mako vat courtesy of one Cloud Strife.

Zack was happy he hadn't needed to put his plan into action, but now found themselves all racing against time. He looked up. "Come on, Cloud, just jump, I'll catch ya!" he called up to his friend, who had reluctantly agreed to this so-insane-it-just-might-work plan. Behind Cloud, Aeris gave him a light push and murmured a few reassuring words to him. Cloud jumped, and Zack caught him, just as promised. He handed Cloud off to Tiffania, just as Nanaki rounded the corner.

"Sephiroth has just entered the building!" he warned the group.

Zack started waving his hands above his head. "Come on, Aeris! JUMP!"

Aeris stepped out onto the windowsill, but it was already too late.

* * *

It happened in slow motion. He gazed through his silver tinted lashes, unblinking. Simply watching. He heard the words from below...and then he heard his own... His weak...pitiful pleas... It was like he had been hit by a stunning spell. He was immobile, a puppet with no will, and could only watch as Aeris stepped up onto the windowsill and prepared to jump…to run away from him

His eyes flashed dangerously. Anger clouded his vision. _Aeris and Cloud are leaving?_ His two allies…were leaving him, rejecting him, for AVALANCHE? He couldn't let them get away with this! She couldn't leave him so easily!

"But you _promised_..." he whispered to himself. "You promised me that you would not let anyone take you from me."

The invisible bonds holding him prisoner to his emotions snapped.

The swordsman sprinted across the room, and lunged at the girl, seconds before she even tensed to jump. He possessively wrapped his left arm around her torso, and hauled the brunette backwards, making the girl cry out as her back crashed painfully against the swordsman's chest. Aeris thrashed and screeched, as she tried to rip herself out of his iron grip. But it was no use. Sephiroth easily overpowered the defenseless flower girl. Calls of her name escalated up to the open window to where the pair was.

Upon hearing it, Aeris seemed to go berserk.

"Let me go! Let me go!" she shouted, as she struggled violently. Kicking and hitting. Slapping and punching. Anything to be free.

But the swordsman was having none of it.

"You promised!" Sephiroth screamed savagely, as he tightened his grip around her. "You promised me, damn you!" he thundered, getting angrier as the girl's wails increased in volume.

The brunette continued to fight on, even thought she was on the verge of hyperventilating. "Let me go Sephiroth! Let me go!"

"Never!" The swordsman snorted loudly against her ear, and tightened his grip even more, eliciting a sharp scream from the brunette's throat.

"You will not leave me Aeris!" Sephiroth did not even attempt to hide the desperation in his voice. "I won't let you go!"

The brunette's eyes widened in horror.

Sephiroth had completely snapped. He was a villain. Aeris was the victim. This was not the Sephiroth she knew. This Sephiroth had totally lost his mind. Like five years ago.

"No! NO! Stop it Sephiroth! Let me go! You're hurting me!" Aeris cried out, barely able to breathe. She smelled smoke. She saw the bed burst into flames. Her nails scratched against the arm that was tightly compressing her chest.

But Sephiroth was not listening. He was oblivious to her cries. He blocked out her words...

__

She tried to leave me. She tried to abandon me...She deserves this. All of this.

The mako in his gaze flared even brighter, and the fire lit the bedside table. Tears were blurring the girl's eyes.

"I can't breathe Sephiroth," she rasped. "Let me go. Please let me go."

But the swordsman did not relent his grip. "Do you think I wanted to do this to you? Do you think I want you to be with those who only sully you?"

Aeris had stopped listening... Black spots were dancing in her vision.

"Please... I c-can't bre-a-th-e..."

The swordsman paused his anger, realizing for the first time that the girl was having difficult problems with breathing, and that half of the room was on fire.

The swordsman withdrew his arm instantly.

Aeris dropped to the floor, coughing and wheezing. But she had little time to compose herself because Sephiroth was upon her again, grasping the girl's shoulders and forcing her to look up at him.

"Aeris-" The swordsman began, as he thought of the next words to say.

"You may call me selfish..."

Sephiroth watched as the girl's facial expression paled just a little from the look he was giving her. He heard two sets of footsteps thundering up the stairs to their room.

"-but…I…"

Arcana and Basara touched the opposite sides of his neck.

* * *

**~END:** *falls to the ground* OMFG that took for-EVAH to write…especially that last part. I kinda realized that the aeriroth was kind of lacking, and Nibelheim was supposed to be the turning point for the whole SCA storyline, and that's why Aeris made that promise to Sephiroth, and why he went loo-loo crazy in the Inn, etc etc.

NO there will be NO CLOUD/TIFFANIA! She likes Flame, even if he's dead, and he likes Aeris, even if his chances with her seem bleak…for now. And…you know, after reading the story 'Those Lacking Spines' by Gexegee of Organization XI over on Kingdom Hearts… I keep rethinking about having Tiff as a character in this fic. So guys… give me your honest opinion: do you think Tiffania is a Mary Sue? The test said she wasn't, but…

The 'x-ratednnneesss' thing is a running joke between me and an old friend, from a story I wrote a long time ago (it crossed over Tokyo Mew Mew and FF7. I know. Don't give me that look) that contained what we thought was X-Ratedness, and we would always exclaim that. Believe me, compared to what I've read (and written) NOW… *laughs hysterically* C'mon guys, I was in Jr. High back then, still a _child_.

I'm thinking… About five chapters left till the end of Part I. Yeah. Next chapter: Tiffania, Sephiroth, and Zack fight, and AVALANCHE's arrival in Rocket Town.

So review you worm babies you! :D


	15. Part I: Chapter Fourteen

Blind Soul  
By BlueFox

**~INTRO: ***chases after Sephiroth with a knife* GAH! I hate Seph in this chapter. He's ruined, now, all ruined! Well, actually, I guess if you look more toward the future, he manages to salvage himself a bit… But. Whatever. He very nearly destroyed himself in this chapter. The bastard. *huffs angrily*

Kaarina, the DocX thingie is going loo-loo, so the beta thing may have to wait until it's fixed, or possibly not happen at all. -.-;;

**~ABOUT FLAMES: **If you decide to flame this story because of the few OCs in it, or for some other reason, it will be commented on, and laughed at publicly. You've been warned.

**~DISCLAIMER:** (insert favorite one here)

**Part I  
Chapter Fourteen**

__

"To be alone in the world is a fate worse than death."

"-but I will have you with me for the rest of this Planet's life!"

Arcana and Basara touched the opposite sides of his neck.

* * *

Sephiroth disappeared and reappeared right in front of Tiffania. He unsheathed Masamune and brought it down toward her in a vicious thirteen strike combo. She blocked them all just as Zack shot an Ice3 spell at Sephiroth. The ex-General flipped out of the way and threw a Draw Slash at Zack. Zack blocked and covered Tiffania as she guided a very shaken Aeris to the window and very nearly pushed her out before Sephiroth came at her again. He hit her hard enough to throw her out of the window and she went flying into a tree, and landed solidly on a thick branch, wincing sharply at the pain from the hit as well as a surge of pain from her chest. Zack came to the window and leaned out to watch as Sephiroth levitated toward Tiffania, raising Masamune and bringing it down toward her head.

She jumped out of the tree just in time to dodge, and turned around quick enough to block a Draw Slash coming at her. As she landed, he flew towards her while spinning, creating a deadly ring of black energy around him. Tiffania cast Escape to dodge the attack. When that spell wore off, she threw a Firaga at his back, relishing as all three balls of flame hit him. He stumbled, but recovered quickly. He shot a Draw Slash at her, and when she blocked that she saw another coming at her.

"Don't leave me out of this!" called Zack, jumping from the window as Tiffania blocked the second wave. Sephiroth appeased him by turning to attack Zack, who jumped to the side. As Sephiroth attacked, Zack blocked, and then Zack broke through his guard. Both Zack and Tiffania landed critical hits onto Sephiroth.

And that's when a golden light surrounded Sephiroth, healing him of all of his wounds, making him invincible. Tiffania and Zack knew that move, it was Great Gospel. Sephiroth smiled at Aeris, who herself looked shocked at what she had done, and fell to her knees in a distraught heap. With renewed vigor, Sephiroth turned and went for Tiffania.

Seeing Aeris' state sent Zack over the edge. Something clicked in his mind and a familiar, long-forgotten voice spoke to him.

"Modulating Phase."

__

"Hellloooo?-Uh huh-that's right-23?-don't mind-yeah!-that way-Will I…see you again?-I'll be here-take Zack-Zack?-Zack!-so happy-all right?-I missed you."

"Power Surge."

Instead of Aeris' Healing Wind coming to him, he felt the aura surround him, and suddenly pain burst out of the upper-left part of his back, and he hissed, before looking over and seeing several silver feathers gently falling to the ground from…a silver wing extended from his back.

There was a stunned silence that spread over the group, including those who had been fighting. And suddenly, Zack and Sephiroth charged at each other. They jumped into the air and Zack brought Basara down upon Sephiroth, who blocked it with Masamune, before launching a counterattack. Zack blocked it and then slashed at Sephiroth again. This process repeated several times until finally after one point where they both spun around behind each other. Zack chanted out a magic spell and he turned around to fire it. Oddly enough Sephiroth had done the same thing.

"COMET2!" they shouted at the same time. Within a single second, both of them got showered in the other magic spell. After the pair had recovered, they flew toward each other. As their swords clashed together, they tried to overpower each other, but in the end it resulted in Basara getting cut in half and Masamune went flying off into another direction.

Without weapons they now had to rely on magic and their fists. Sephiroth flew far back and away from Zack and began to shoot Bolt3s at Zack. Zack spun and easily flew out of the Bolt3s' ranges. Sephiroth came to Zack and they began to fight with their fists. While doing so, Sephiroth suddenly threw out a Demi spell that knocked them both to the ground. Sephiroth ended up landing before Zack did, and that was when he realized what the ex-General was planning. He landed right where Masamune was. However, he only sheathed it and turned away from them.

"I have no more need of this foolish fighting," he told them all coldly, but kept his glare on Aeris. "You broke your promise, and made me realize…it was all just a lie."

The words cut straight through Aeris' heart and her eyes widened in shock of his words, weakly stretching out a hand and opening her mouth, as if to apologize, but Sephiroth was already up and into the air, skirting off and away into the distance. When the threat of the swordsman was gone, Zack relaxed, and the wing, sensing such, vanished, along with much of his energy, and he slumped to his knees for a quick breather.

****

About A Day Later…

"It's not going to stop..." murmured Vincent as he watched the Tiny Bronco continue to turn and get ready to take off, as if on autopilot.

Zack ran forward and jumped on. "It doesn't matter! Get on, get on, get on!" He stretched a hand down and helped Aeris and Cloud up onto the airplane, trusting the others to be able to get on by themselves as he turned and strapped himself in for a bumpy ride. The Tiny Bronco launched itself up and into the air, gliding along over the heads of Cid Highwind, Rufus, and the trooper escort Rufus had brought with him.

Cid swore loudly before tossing his cigarette to the ground and taking off after the airplane. "Open fire!" yelled Rufus, and the troopers did so, blasting the tail and getting it low enough to the ground for Cid to jump onto before turning to assess the damage.

"Shit! The tail's been hit!" He ignored Aeris' wince and Tiffania's barely hidden smirk.

Zack looked forward and widened his eyes as Barret shouted, "Emergency landin'!"

"Everybody, hang onto yer britches!" yelled Cid. "And DON'T piss in 'em!"

Tiffania laughed outright at this, before she realized just what they were about to crash into, and lapsed into an uneasy silence. The Tiny Bronco landed bumpily on the ocean, and the redhead let out a shiver and crept away from it, unknowingly bumping into Cloud, who gave a small start of fright. A few quiet minutes later, there came a loud THUD and everyone's heads snapped over to Cid, who was muttering something like, "Burn it all the fucking bitch dogs of hell…" before he looked up. "She won't fly n'more."

"Can't we use it as a boat?" Nanaki asked reasonably.

"Fuck!" swore Cid, and all polite people on the Tiny Bronco winced. "Do whatever the hell you want!"

Zack nudged Barret next to him. "He can make you run for your money, can't he?" he jostled the bigger gunman, who huffed and looked away. Zack laughed good-naturedly.

"What're you gonna do now?" Tiffania couldn't help but ask Cid, who flopped down and set light to a cigarette with a shrug.

"What're you guys gonna do?"

"We're still going after a man named Sephiroth, even though we got our friends back…" Cloud and Aeris both shivered at that sentence. "And someday we'll get Rufus, too," explained Zack.

"I dunno 'bout all that, but… Ah what the hell?" He blew out a ring of smoke. "Sign me up!"

Zack looked at the rest of AVALANCHE-all fully reunited-and asked, "Well, how about it you guys?"

Cloud shrugged and Aeris nodded. "Do whatever you like," said Vincent.

"Sure!" Yuffie and Tiffania piped up at the same time.

Nanaki shook out his mane. "I don't quite mind."

"It might be fun," added Tifa.

"The more, the merrier!" called Barret.

And so it was decided.

"Glad to be aboard, numbskulls!" declared Cid.

"Numbskulls?" questioned Zack, rubbing the back of his head.

Cid shrugged as he exhaled some more smoke. "Anyone who goes up against the Shinra's gotta be numbskulls!" he rationalized. Zack shrugged.

After a short while of drifting on the water, Zack finally asked, "Well, if we're gonna use this as a boat, then where do you guys want to go?"

Yuffie was the first to speak. "Wutai! I wanna go to Wutai!" she cried, pointing off in the direction of the speck of land in the distance.

Aeris chewed thoughtfully on a lock of her hair. "Rufus was saying that Sephiroth was heading toward the Temple of the Ancients." She couldn't help but shiver a little at Sephiroth's name-she still felt so bad for betraying his promise, but staying with him would have put her in more danger than leaving. Someone put a reassuring hand over hers. Glancing over, she saw it was Cloud, and couldn't help but smile.

Tiffania nodded in agreement to what Aeris said. "Yeah, but he also said that Sephiroth was headed the wrong way." She and Zack traded a meaningful look as Yuffie once again blurted that she'd rather go to Wutai. "Maybe…we should check out Wutai to…find clues or something?"

Zack nodded. "That sounds good. We'll go to Wutai and see if we can find anything there." As Yuffie squealed and glomped him, Zack couldn't help but have an uneasy feeling about it all.

But was it about Wutai, or the Temple…?

* * *

**~END:** Short chapter, I know. *shrugs* That's because the next one is where we go to Wutai and Yuffie becomes the brat we all know she is. The reason why I skipped the bulk of Rocket Town was because it's another level that I just don't like doing, mainly because of the dumb memory we have no control over. *sighs* Well, whatever.

Four chapters till the end of Part I! Next chapter: Wutai awaits! And so does a dire situation…other than the case of the stolen materia! OOOOooooOOOooooOOOO. What is it? Find out next time! Meaning, wait until Monday! So, review you worm babies you! ^-^


	16. Part I: Chapter Fifteen

Blind Soul  
By BlueFox

**~INTRO:** *blinks* Um… hi? I'm back? *voice echoes for a moment* Aww, they all left. I knew they would, I've been gone for like, EVER. *suddenly stampeded and glomped by thankful readers*

So I assume. Anyway, SO SORRY about the MONTHS in waiting for the new chapter. I am ashamed. However, good news! After Part I ends, since I know I won't have it done before my official leave date, I will be moving the story of Blind Soul to deviantart, under my same penname. In a few weeks, I will have links in my profile that I will periodically update so you can go and read them! Plus, there will always be an updating schedule in my journal, so you'll always have something to look forward to.

Also, fans of Whisper… I got a new computer and we had to change the files between the two, and it got lost/deleted. The sequel didn't, but it wouldn't make sense without the prequel, so… Plus, with Dissidia out, I kinda felt like it was obsolete, and I was going to delete it anyway. Sorries!

**~ABOUT FLAMES**: If you decide to flame this story because of the few OCs in it, or for some other reason, it will be commented on, and laughed at publicly. You've been warned.

**~DISCLAIMER:** (insert favorite one here)

Part I  
Chapter Fifteen

"_ANGER is one letter short of DANGER."_

Zack nodded. "That sounds good. We'll go to Wutai and see if we can find anything there." As Yuffie squealed and glomped him, Zack couldn't help but have an uneasy feeling about it all.

But was it about Wutai, or the Temple…?

* * *

"I knew it! I just knew we couldn't trust her!" Barret bellowed angrily, as he checked his pockets for what seemed the hundredth time. "That no good brat stole my materia!"

Zack frowned deeply, as he stared down at his own materia inventory which had more gaps than he remembered, before turning his gaze to the empty slots across his new broadsword, Nightbringer.

In one single battle against Shinra, Yuffie had managed to steal all their materia from right under their noses. To say that Zack was annoyed would be an understatement of the year.

"Did anyone manage to keep their materia?" The ex-SOLDIER sighed in mild exasperation, as he eyed his annoyed teammates.

"She took all mine Zack," Tifa sighed as she presented her empty slots to her leader's gaze.

"She took mine too," Nanaki added calmly.

Aeris reached up to her braid briefly before sighing. "I still have mine. The one that doesn't work."

"My two are gone," mumbled Cloud.

"I didn't have any to begin with," Cid chuckled loudly, as he twirled his bloodstained spear to the ground. "You cheap fuckers didn't even bother to give me any!"

Zack scowled at him, before turning his gaze on the silent gunman. "Vincent?"

Vincent refused to comment as he stared blankly at his silver rifle, and the empty slots which greeted his eyes.

Then Zack turned toward his 'sister'. "Tiff?"

Tiffania shook her head, and began to fiddle with the end of her left braid.

"Well...I've still got this level two fire materia that I have always kept inside my pocket," Zack said as he raised the green orb to everyone's vision, before securing it inside his weapon.

"Well isn't this great! How are we going to go up against Shinra when we only have one piece of materia to fight with!" Cid exclaimed, however it was more in ill humor rather than real anger.

"She set this trap up all along! I'm gonna kill her when I find her!" Barret continued to howl, stomping his feet like a madman. "Come on Spikey! We're gotta find her! Where do you think she has gone!"

"Wutai is up ahead," Vincent commented dryly, as he began to move in the direction of the town, regardless to the fact that no one else was following him.

Zack sighed, realizing a bit late what a bad idea returning to this place had been, before signaling the rest of his team to follow Tiffania's friend.

* * *

AVALANCHE had been walking the streets of Wutai looking for Yuffie to no avail, and they were all less than amused.

After checking inside the weapons shop for what seemed the hundredth time, and passing over the bridge, Barret had finally had enough.

"Where the hell did that brat go!" Barret groaned out loud, as he turned his head in all directions, in an attempt to catch sight of the mischievous materia thief. However, he was unable to find any traces of the girl, nor could he find any leads from the village folk. They had been walking around in circles, and still, they had found nothing.

Zack sighed, as he wiped his sweaty brow, stretching and cringing in discomfort with the way his clothes stuck to his back and chest with rivers of sweat. The sun was simply becoming too much to bear, and he knew that his skin would blister if he stayed outside in the heat any longer. Plus, he felt so dirty and sticky, and he knew that he could not be smelling overly pleasant. But still, Zack knew that he had to find his materia, no matter what the cost. They had all collected so much, from rare healing materia, to some phenomenally powerful red summon materia. He couldn't let all his teams' hard work go to waste!

"Hey Zack? Why don't we check the pub next?" Aeris asked, as Barret's small dark eyes centered on a building which had a small green tortoise emblazoned across on of its many signs.

"Yeah! Dere has to be at least one drunk here dat must have seen 'da brat," Barret added, while the Zack wordlessly nodded in agreement to his butchered words. They hadn't checked the pub yet, so it seemed like a good place to search.

So Zack began to follow Barret, and Aeris and Cloud followed them, but before they could even take a step inside, the they were stopped by a female voice from behind. "Hey you guys?"

The four of them both stopped and all but Cloud turned toward Tifa, who was swiftly jogging up towards them.

"What's wrong Tifa?" Cloud asked in confusion, after seeing the unsettled jolts of anxiety in Tifa's Lifestream.

"Its Tiffania. She's not feeling too good," the blackette replied quickly, as she gestured behind her, to a certain red-haired girl who was leaning tiredly against one of the Wutainese pagodas, with Vincent and Nanaki standing protectively on either side of her.

No sooner than she had said it, Tifa watched as Zack darted over to their sick companion.

"Tiff, are you alright?" he asked carefully as he leaned over his 'sister'.

She blinked slowly, before hesitantly nodding to herself, wiping a trickle of blood from the corner of her mouth and swallowed. She tried to move away from the building behind her, but no sooner than she moved, her body gave way, and everyone watched as Tiffania sagged to the ground like a broken puppet.

"Tiffania!" Tifa and Zack cried out, as they bent over their fallen friend.

Tiffania sighed, and coughed a little before raising her eyes upwards to blearily stare at her 'brother' kneeling in front of her. She managed a small smile and said, "'M fine."

Cloud and Aeris came over, and the flower girl placed a hand on the redhead's damp forehead, and winced sharply when the girl's temperature burned her hand through the leather of the SU gloves. Sweat was beading down Tiffania's head in rivulets and her face was practically burning up!

"I think the heat has got to her," Cloud told them, and Zack nodded, eyeing the others for their own personal diagnosis.

"Have we got anything that could reduce this fever?" Aeris asked Tifa, who was currently sifting through the pack Zack had brought for any useful items.

"Um...We've got a few different types of Potions. A couple of Hypers," Tifa mumbled to herself as she knelt down to the floor and began unzipping the sides of the rucksack. "Um...more Hypers...and um...nope...nothing."

"We should get her out of this heat," Vincent said quietly, as he drew himself away from the shadows between the cherry blossom trees that he was leaning against just before.

"As if we didn't know that," Cid added to himself, as he watched Zack lift the weak redhead off the ground. She weakly pushed against him, turning a deeper shade of red.

"Don' worry…'m fine."

"Does anyone know of any Inns nearby?" Zack asked, ignoring Tiffania and looking at the others for guidance.

"I saw a sign over there," Nanaki stated, as he pointed his uncomfortably dry nose in the direction of a large sign across the right hand side of his vision.

"Right. Lets go to the Inn first, and then we can look for Yuffie later," Zack replied softly, as he repositioned the feverish female in his arms. But no sooner than he said it, a flash of color darted past the corner of his eye, followed by the sound of Barret's startled cry.

"Hey! I just spotted Yuffie!" he bellowed as he pointed his giant gun arm in the direction of the Turtle's Paradise, or more specifically a blur of cream and green dart between their wide sliding doors.

"I think I saw her too!" Tifa added over the gunman's shoulder, as she turned her eyes from the Inn, then to the Pub, then eventually back to her leader.

"Oh boy." Zack knew he was faced with a rather difficult decision.

But before he could even make a decision, Vincent swiftly drew the redhead out of his arms and silently made his way into the inn, not looking back even once.

The rest of AVALANCHE sans Cloud blinked in confusion at the sight of their friend being carried away in the arms of the crimson cloaked gunman.

"Hey!" Zack cried out in alarm, as he swiveled around on his foot, to send a startled glare at Vincent. "Where are you going with Tiffania!"

Vincent stopped, and slightly turned his eyes to stare at the ex-SOLDIER between the sheath of his dark ebony bangs.

"I'm taking her away from the_ light_..." he muttered softly, and with that, Vincent disappeared inside the Inn with a barely coherent Tiffania in his arms, who muttered something along the lines of, "No, Mr. Presiden' Shirea, today's not a good day…"

The rest of the group became eerily silent.

"Shouldn't we go after him?" Tifa asked eventually, as she turned toward Zack.

Zack frowned, totally at loss of what to do.

"Why don't I follow them?" Nanaki stated calmly. "Aeris and Cloud can come as well. And the rest of you can go after Yuffie. I think that was what Vincent intended you to do."

"But Vincent isn't our leader!" Tifa protested sharply. "He shouldn't be telling what to do! Nor should he simply take Tiffania away like that!"

"Tifa," Cloud said quietly. "You can get our materia back. I'm sure we'll deal with Vincent later."

The fightress frowned at the blond, before reluctantly nodding and telling him so.

"Right. Nanaki, Aeris, Cloud, you go to the Inn and meet up with Vincent and Tiffania. We should be there shortly," Zack commanded.

The large flame tailed beast nodded in understanding, before slowly padding in the same direction that Vincent had just walked, only a few seconds before, with Aeris and Cloud trailing along behind.

"Come on you guys, the rest of us are going to go after Yuffie," Zack told them as he turned and began to jog towards the Turtle Paradise, with the rest of his team following him in tow.

* * *

_Flame?_ Cloud inquired softly in his dream. _Are you there?_

The familiar smell of ocean spray filled his dream nostrils. But it was distant, and it made Cloud a bit worried. Finally, he got an answer.

'_How is she?'_ Flame sounded weary, anxious, tired.

_Her fever broke a few hours ago, and she went out to the Da Cho Mountains. That's what they told me, at least._

'_Hm.'_ Flame sighed. _'Cloud? I won't be able to contact you for much longer… Even now the connection's being stretched.'_

_What? Why?_

'_Because you're back with Zack. That's why.'_

… Cloud was silent. _I don't want you to go._

'_I wish you could see what's going to happen, Cloud. I wish you could.'_ Flame sounded…frightened. Very much so. _'I won't be able to help you through it. I'm sorry.'_

Then he was gone. And Cloud was left in the unforgiving dark again.

* * *

"You gave us quite a scare, young lady."

Tiffania opened her weary eyes and looked over to see Zack approaching her. "I told you I was fine," she mumbled, still feeling a little detached from her body. "It happens all the time."

But Zack shook his head and sat down beside her on the palm of the figure whose likeness was carved into the mountainside. "No, usually coughing up blood is what you do. Getting a fever and nearly passing out is not what you usually do."

Tiffania let out a tired sigh. "What I have is called 'Messenger Fever.' "

"Messenger Fever?"

She nodded. "It's a condition a…Messenger…" She used the word like it was something disgusting. "They get it when their 'knight' dies."

Zack raised an eyebrow. "Your 'knight'? I thought you still had to find him." When she gave him a questioning look, he continued. "When you told me about your materia. The one that doesn't work? That it can only be activated when you've found your 'knight'."

Tiffania blinked and looked away. "I meant…find him again. He's already dead, but there's a special way to find him."

"Okay. I think I get it. Anyway, this Fever…is it fatal?"

She shrugged. "It can be. And no, I can't pass it to anyone, so don't worry." She let her lids fall shut again, reveling in the darkness that was behind them. She realized then, she just wanted it all to end, to just float in bliss for the longest time she could. But finally she opened her eyes. "His name…was Flame Aaeul."

Zack nodded. "You mistook him for me at Junon." She nodded. There was a comfortable silence that descended upon them, before Zack asked, "Is that what Hojo staged you to find? Is that why you ran?"

"You're perceptive," she praised him softly, "but no. It was something else. Something else that caused him to die for me." She laughed without humor, and Zack couldn't suppress the shiver that came with it. "I think the Fever knew he was going to die, and it hit me prematurely, during the fight with Bottomswell as we were fleeing back here from the continents far past the ocean."

Zack nodded. "Would you mind telling me…" he trailed off, and she stared at him, waiting for him to continue. "Err, nevermind." He rubbed the back of his neck with a little sheepish smile, and was rewarded with a smile of her own. They watched the sunset together, before Zack stood up. "Come on; we'd better head back before they start to get worried."

Tiffania took his extended hand and let him pull her up. "Next time I pass out…I promise you I'm all right."

"Mmmhmmm," Zack agreed sarcastically, and she playfully shoved him with a laugh as they headed down the trail back to Wutai.

_Such happiness was few and far between…for what would happen in no less than two days would shake the world of all those involved…_

* * *

**~END:** Again, I got Zack's sword name from the FFX strategy guide, from one of Tidus' weapons named Nightbringer. It just sounded so cool. ^-^ Anyway, I hope that gives you a bit of info on Tiff's condition. Poor baby, I'm so mean… But if I pampered her, then yeah, she'd be a Mary Sue. Bleck. But she's happy she's got a few fans!

Tiffania: Four, to be precise! I iz happy!

I've also realized I've been leaving out Cait Sith quite a bit… Assume that he's there, okay? There's just…too many characters to be keeping track of right now. ^^; My own fault, though, I admit.

In the next one: AVALANCHE returns to the Gold Saucer after getting a lead on the Keystone, Zack goes on the date! Now, I need you guys to vote! Who do you want Zack to go on a date with? Aeris? Tiffania? Tifa? Or Yuffie? As much of a fan of yaoi I am, you cannot vote for one of the guys. Sorry!

Countdown to end of Part I and move to dA: 3 chapters.


	17. Part I: Chapter Sixteen

Blind Soul  
By BlueFox

**~INTRO:** Guuuuuys, some big stuff has gone down since the last update a while back. ^^ I HAVE A JOB! I now work in a local deli! *does a jig* I'm so happy!

As for the date, it was something like a 10 to 4 vote for Aeris to go with Zack. Yuffie and Tiff got nothing, which is okay. But what I find strange is that when the Aeris voters voted for her, they all had the same reasoning… Are you guys forming a conspiracy?! *eyes readers*

EnJoY tHiS cHaPtEr.

**~ABOUT FLAMES**: If you decide to flame this story because of the few OCs in it, or for some other reason, it will be commented on, and laughed at publicly. You've been warned.

**~DISCLAIMER:** (insert favorite one here)

* * *

Part I  
Chapter Sixteen

_"You saw me mourning my love for you, and touched my hand."_

"Mmmhmmm," Zack agreed sarcastically, and she playfully shoved him with a laugh as they headed down the trail back to Wutai.

_Such happiness was few and far between…for what would happen in no less than two days would shake the world of all those involved…_

* * *

Zack did not like where this situation was currently going. They had to somehow get _all of the way_ back to the Gold Saucer from the Weapon Seller's house, on _foot_. The Tiny Bronco could only travel on shallow water, not land, and the buggy was a pile of scrap metal by Cosmo Canyon.

All in all, the day was taking its toll on the poor AVALANCHE leader, and his spikes were drooping again.

He had no doubt in his mind he could easily make it there before the night ended, because he had done so trying to get to Midgar. But with everyone else there, and the surge of monsters that just would _not_ stop coming, he couldn't find a way to assure himself that there was a possibility of getting there.

"Let's face it," he told them. "We're doomed."

"Not necessarily," Tifa told him, giving him a smug smirk, as if she had been waiting for him to say this all along. Everyone's heads snapped to her. She lifted up a finger and pointed in the western direction. "Gongaga's not far from here. I'm pretty sure they'll lend us a mode of transport over the land."

"And we skipped over Gongaga, so I've never seen your home, Zack," added Aeris. "I'd love to see it…" Suddenly her eyes glazed over and she dipped her head away. Cloud's hand, that she still held in hers out of habit and security, squeezed her fingers gently. Zack caught the movement with his mako-enhanced eyes and couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy.

And then everyone started to speak up their reasons for also going to Gongaga, and Zack found himself overwhelmed and put his head down to groan. He had just _left_ the place for God's sake, did they really think he wanted to go back after only a few days?

**A Bit Later…**

_Apparently so,_ Zack thought sourly to himself as they once again walked through the city limits. He glanced around and managed to catch Tiffania's eye. She still looked a little bushed, and her cheeks were tinted a bright pink, and for a minute Zack thought she was coming down with another fever…until he saw her smile wider and try to hide in a laugh.

_Same old, same old,_ he thought, just as a figure with red hair came running up to them. It turned out to be Rachel, and she hugged Zack briefly. "Hiya Zack!" she greeted, but he put his finger up to his lips with wide eyes. She gave him a questioning look, then saw the new additions to his group. "Ooh, who're they?"

Zack tried to quiet her again, but Tiffania took the liberty of taking the away from her 'brother' to introduce her to the new additions to AVALANCHE. When introductions were over, Zack beckoned the younger over again. "Rachel, could ya do me a favor?"

Rachel started to play with her hair. "That depends. Watcha need?"

"I need to borrow your dad's erm…van," he told her.

Her blue eyes widened a bit as she gave him a smile. "The four-wheel drive one that throws people around like ragdolls?"

Zack ignored Yuffie and Cloud's joined moan. "Yeah."

"Well, I'll see what I can do."

Just before she turned to bound off, Zack took her arm. "Rachel, _please_ don't tell Mom and Dad I'm back."

"I didn't plan on it, but you know…" Zack let go with a sigh and watched her run off. There was a series of almost silent footfalls and Zack turned his head to see Cloud behind him, his fogged over eyes staring directly at Rachel's retreating back.

"She's kind of like a little sister, isn't she?" the blond asked his friend, and Zack scratched the back of his head.

"Er…you can say that." Cloud turned his head and smiled at Zack, who sighed. "Hey, Spike? Can you…see me?"

Suddenly Cloud looked a bit nervous and he shifted a bit, turning his head back to the others, who had all split to talk amongst themselves. "Can we talk alone?"

"Hey, sure." Zack headed back and into the small cemetery at the entrance to town, before sitting down against one of the trees. Cloud followed suit. "Okay, so spill it."

Cloud took in a deep breath, closing his eyelids, before letting the breath out. "I have a gift," he whispered. "Something the…Cetra, I think, gave me when they brought you back to life."

Zack nodded. "Okay, so what's this 'gift' entail?"

"I see the Lifestream." Cloud opened his eyelids and turned to Zack. "The Lifestream coursing through people's bodies, materia, enemies, in the mako… I can see it all, if it's alive."

Zack nodded, then grinned. "So tell me, how does it work?"

Cloud flexed his hands. "It takes a lot of my mental energy," he began. "When I run out of that, I can't see the Lifestream anymore, and I'm just like any other blind person. I usually pass out for a good while." He let out a puff of a breath. "Certain people have different colored Lifestream."

Zack grinned wider. "Do I have a special color?" he asked.

"Some weird shade of mauve."

"Aww, I thought it would be different, like orange or something…" He started to chuckle when Cloud snorted. "So, what about the others? What colors are they?"

"Well, Aeris is pink and green-"

Almost immediately, he was interrupted. "What? Why does she have two colors?"

Cloud sighed in mock-exasperation and emphasized teasing-patience when he explained it to Zack, "Because she's a Cetra, or at least partly." He saw Zack's Lifestream nod and continued. "Vincent is a really dark red, and it looks like it has three other colors inside him, moving around almost. Yuffie's is a dark green. Yuffie is the ninja who stole the materia, right?"

"Right."

"Tifa is like a blue-ish color. Barret is orange, which is kind of funny. Cid is yellow. Red is, well, red. Cait Sith…I don't think he has any."

"Well, he's a machine," Zack informed him, and Cloud nodded.

"Sephiroth was, surprisingly, a bright fuchsia color…and Tiffania is that shade of mauve again and green." He paused, then asked, "She's not a Cetra too, is she?"

"Nah. We just kind of…did some weird transfusion thing that made us siblings, or something. That mauve is probably from me."

Cloud absently nodded, but he couldn't help thinking to himself, _Then why don't _you_ have green inside you?_

It was then that Rachel returned, jingling the keys to the four-wheel drive van. Zack got up and jogged over to her, hearing Cloud give pursuit behind him. The ex-SOLDIER took the keys and gave Rachel a one-armed hug. "Thanks, Rachel," he told her, and she smiled.

"Just…bring it back in one piece, okay?" she told him. "That includes you and your friends, too, okay?" Zack nodded and gave her the up, before calling for everyone to pile up into the van. They did so, and Zack waved at Rachel as he started the van and left Gongaga. She waved back until he was out of sight.

**Much Later…**

Zack stood at the windowsill of the Ghost Hotel, absently watching the dark rain slide down the window. He couldn't believe the tram was out! How could that have happened? As he was engrossed in watching two different raindrops fall down in what he imagined as a race, he became aware of knocking at his door. He turned around. "It's open!" he called, and Aeris opened the door and slipped in.

"Huh?" Zack ed his head, giving the flower his full attention. "What do you need, Aeris?"

Aeris dipped her head, fiddling with her bracelets briefly, before looking up with hesitant green eyes. "Didn't I… owe you a date?"

Zack looked perplexed. "Do you?"

Aeris shrugged. "I may. You said you would take me out when you got back to Midgar a while back, didn't you?"

Realization dawned on Zack. He grinned. "Oh yeah…"

"So, I want to go out now," she told him with a shy smile.

"But what about Cloud?" Zack didn't want to go and leave him unattended. Sure, he had something like sight now, but that wasn't reason to leave him alone. Aeris seemed to have thought of this and explained.

"I asked Tifa to spend a little time with him. For them to catch up while we catch up." Aeris smiled a secret smile. "You know, equivalent exchange."

Zack chuckled. "That's a good way to put it, Aer," he praised.

Aeris turned a little red. "No, no, don't give me the credit. I saw it on TV once, that's all."

* * *

"So…" Zack began as they meandered through the throngs of late-night partygoers. Aeris was comfortably attached to his arm with her arm. A friendly chain, nothing more. "What was it like, traveling with Seph and all?" To hide his uneasiness, he took a large chomp out of his cotton candy, and almost choked.

Aeris contemplated her answer before giving it. "It was different," she put out slowly. "Hardly at all as entertaining as traveling with AVALANCHE."

Zack swallowed the pink candy and raised an eyebrow at her. "Is that good or bad?"

Aeris squeezed his arm. "Good. Very good."

The little peace surrounding the pair was broken when Zack's eyes alighted upon their next destination. He threw his cotton candy onto the ground, or more specifically, on someone's shoe. The person glared, but he wasn't paying attention. Instead, he was pointing toward a certain ride and bouncing on his feet like a little boy who had gotten the very thing he wanted for Christmas.

"Look! Aeris, there's no line for the roller coaster!" He moved his hand to hers and gave a hug. Not forceful, but none too gentle, either. "Let's go!"

Aeris looked a bit fearful. "Are you sure?" she asked. "I don't think I could stomach it…"

Zack turned and gave her his infamous 'kicked puppy' look. "Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeease, Aer? Can we? Can we? Can we?"

Aeris still seemed to have a soft spot for Zack in her heart, as she found that she could not say no, especially to that face. She agreed, and with a whoop, Zack took off for the roller coaster, dragging a smiling Aeris along behind him.

**On the Ride…**

Aeris let out a little squeal and pointed, grabbing Zack's arm.

"Look, Zack! There's one! I'm sure it's worth a lot of points!"

Zack whipped around and aimed at his target. With a grin, he let loose, and it exploded. The number 500 popped up on the screen inside the car they were in. Aeris, caught up in the moment, clapped like a little on a sugar high. Zack watched her out of the corner of his eye and smiled at her actions. He had forgotten why he had loved her in the first place.

"Look! Look! Another one!" Aeris cried as they began to climb a steep hill. The last hill of the ride, probably.

Zack expertly turned and shot it, as well as all the others that assaulted them to the top. When the car tipped, Zack let go of the weapon and wrapped a single arm around Aeris. "Ready?" he whispered, so softly he was sure Aeris hadn't heard it. But maybe she did, as just before they went down, she grabbed him around his middle and buried her face in his chest.

Down they went, the people behind him screaming in happiness, but Zack was content to just hold onto Aeris the entire way down. When they saw their picture as they got out, they found that Zack had the biggest, goofy grin on his face.

Zack had the grace to blush heavily, and even bought a picture for him and Aeris to both treasure. As they were about to leave the ride, an attendant ran up with what looked like a giant umbrella under his arm.

"Sir! For all of the points you won during the ride, you get the ultimate prize!" He held out the giant umbrella to Aeris and Zack. "The Parasol!"

Zack scratched the back of his head, looking a little dumbfounded. "Uh…" he started. Aeris, however, reached out and took it with a gracious smile.

"Thank you very much, sir," she said, and the attendant flushed a bit, before returning to the ride. Aeris turned to Zack, a small pleading look in her eyes, which seemed to make them bigger than they already were. "Can I have it, Zack?"

"Wha…?" Zack gave it an appraising look. It was just as big and thin as her other staffs, but then he noticed something. "It doesn't have any materia slots, Aer."

Aeris brushed a bang from her face. "No, it's all right. I don't mind that at all."

Zack grinned. "All right. You can have it."

Aeris reached out and hugged him. "Thank you, Zack," she whispered, and her words sounded strange. When she stepped back, she opened her mouth to say something, but then her eyes caught something behind Zack.

With furrowed eyebrows, Zack turned. "Is that Cait Sith?" he wondered aloud. It appeared to be so, and in Cait's small cat hand appeared to be…

"The Keystone?!" Zack's eyes widened, and Aeris' hand jumped to her mouth. "What the hell is he doing with that?"

"Zack! Look!" Aeris pointed, just in time to see Tseng melt out of the crowd to Cait Sith. He held his hand out expectantly, and Cait Sith wasted no time in handing it over.

Fury washed over Zack. Of course, how could he have been so blind? He had seen the damn machine around the Sihnra HQ before. Why had he let it tag along? He should have known it would do this. Zack turned to Aeris. "Come on, Aeris," he told her, voice tight. "I know this probably ruins our date, but we've gotta give chase."

Aeris nodded. "I understand. Let's go!" They took off after Cait Sith, who had bounded away, happy that his part was over.

"Get back here, two-timer!" Zack shouted, and Cait Sith turned to see him and Aeris chasing after him.

"Ah crap! I wasn't counting on this!" He turned the Mog around and had it run/jump as fast as possible away from the duo. They chased him all over the Gold Saucer, before Zack doubled over to catch his breath, and Aeris leaned against a nearby building to catch her breath as well.

"We'll never catch him," panted Zack after awhile. "Damn! How the hell are we going to get into the Temple now?"

"We'll figure out a way, Zack," Aeris assured him. "For now, we should get back to the hotel, and get some sleep."

Glancing over at Aeris, Zack saw that she looked tired. But she was smiling, so she at least had had some fun. He grinned at her and nodded. "Yeah, let's head back."

* * *

Before Aeris turned the knob that would lead into her room, she paused. Zack tilted his head to the right in curiosity as Aeris slowly turned to him, clutching her new Parasol to her chest. Looking up, he saw the seriousness in her face, balanced with unbridled joy. She reached up with one hand and cupped the back of his neck, pulling him down and placing a small kiss on his forehead.

"Thank you, Zack," she whispered against his skin, before letting him straighten up. "I'll remember and cherish this night for the rest of my days."

"So will I," he promised, leaning down and giving her a kiss on the forehead, too. He gave her a small smile. "Now, go to bed. It's a big day tomorrow."

Aeris gave him a small smile in return and sighed. "Good night, Zack. Sweet dreams."

"You, too."

It was only perhaps a few moments later, when Zack entered his room, that he found himself wondering why Aeris had said for the rest of her days. Why hadn't she said forever?

With his forehead still tingling from where her lips had rested, he lay down for some well-deserved rest.

* * *

**~END:** lol FMA reference! Did anyone catch it? Seems Aeris may be a fangirl…

Wasn't this chapter precious? I had fun with it. And, to all artists out there, if you guys want to do fanart of this fic, I would really love to see fanart of this chapter. Of course, if anyone wants to do some for other chapters, that's fine, too. ^^

Lastly, I now have a formspring account! You can now ask me ANYTHING. Perhaps I may even reveal tidbits of the future of Blind Soul to you! But make sure you tell me who you are!

Countdown to end of Part I and move to dA: 2 chapters.


	18. Part I: Chapter Seventeen

Blind Soul  
By BlueFox

**~INTRO:** Another long wait… but for a good reason this time! This is a long chapter at 15 pages, and not only that, but school gets REALLY busy at the end of the year.

Anyway, I've realized my previous few chapters seem to be…err, _lacking_ in body. Not length, THERE'S A DIFFERENCE. So, I've attempted to make this as detail-y as possible. Though again, it's not a level I'm content with.

**~ABOUT FLAMES**: If you decide to flame this story because of the few OCs in it, or for some other reason, it will be commented on, and laughed at publicly. You've been warned.

**~DISCLAIMER:** (insert favorite one here)

* * *

**Part I**  
**Chapter Seventeen**

_"I feel the hands of fate, they're suffocating."_

It was only perhaps a few moments later, when Zack entered his room, that he found himself wondering why Aeris had said for the rest of her days. Why hadn't she said forever?

With his forehead still tingling from where her lips had rested, he lay down for some well-deserved rest.

* * *

Zack came down the stairs of the hotel, and wasn't surprised to see all of the rest of AVALANCHE there, waiting for him. Cait Sith was the first to see him, and if Zack didn't know better, he'd say the little cat looked extremely smug.

"What took you so long, Zack?" he asked, sounding as normal as ever. "About the Temple of the Ancients. I think if we take the Tiny Bronco east towards the sea, we should be able to find it." Zack contemplated this, wondering if it was a trap, before nodding. He and Aeris shared a look as the machine-cat continued. "Well then, shall we get goin'? Who's gonna go?"

Tiffania stepped forward. "I am, definitely."

Aeris let go of Cloud. "I want to go, too." Zack nodded to Aeris, he understood.

"Anyone else?"

Cloud came up beside Aeris, and Zack smiled at him, already knowing that Cloud wanted to go. When nobody else stepped up, Zack sighed. "All right, so it's me, Aeris, Tiff, and Cloud. Last chance. Anyone else?"

"No, Zack, I think you can handle it," Tifa told him. Zack nodded at her, then turned to his team.

"Okay, let's get going."

**Upon Arrival…**

Zack stared up at the large, Inca-like pyramid that loomed over them, before seeing Aeris run halfway across the bridge in front of him. Tiffania beside him wrapped her arms around herself and shivered, and Cloud looked very uncomfortable.

Slowly, Aeris sank to her knees. "This is... the Temple of the Ancients... I... know... I feel it... The knowledge of the Ancients... floating..." And then she lay down on the bridge, her ear pressed against it. "You could become one with the Planet, but you're stopping it with the strength of will." The others listened in silence. "For the future? For us?"

"You understand it?" Zack whispered, awed. Is this what she had meant by speak to the Planet?

Aeris looked up at the large pyramid. "You're uneasy... But happy? Because we're here?" She paused. "Yes, I understand." She fully stood up and turned to the other three, brushing off her outfit, then fixed Zack with a stare and pointed behind her. "I want to go inside!"

Zack nodded, and followed Aeris, Cloud behind him, and Tiffania bringing up the rear. Inside, they all saw Tseng slowly sink down in front of what appeared to be an altar, his entire front covered in -his . Aeris gasped and went to his side. He looked up, managed a small smile for Aeris, before he looked at Zack. "I've been had. It's not the Promised Land... Sephiroth's searching for..." he mumbled, and noticed both Aeris and Cloud tense. He had no time to contemplate it, however.

"Sephiroth? He's inside!" Zack asked, and saw Tiffania glance around in all directions, just in case a surprise attack was waiting.

Tseng let out a wet breath as Aeris tried to heal his wounds, but she was too shaken to be of much help. "Look... for yourself... Damn... Letting Aeris go was the start... of my... bad luck..." He gently pushed Aeris' fretting hands away from him. "The President... was wrong..."

"You're wrong. The Promised Land isn't like what you imagined." It was the first time Cloud had spoken upon coming to the Temple.

Tiffania joined in. "There's no way the Shinra can win," she told Tseng.

Tseng's eyes met Tiffania's and he chuckled. "Haha...pretty harsh. Sounds like something... you'd say." Tiffania looked a bit surprised, before she ducked her head out of sight. Tseng turned his eyes to Zack and pulled a light green orb from his pocket, holding it out to the ex-SOLDIER. "The Keystone... Place it... on... the altar..."

Zack reached down and took the Keystone as Aeris helped Tseng to a pillar where he could rest. Cloud 'looked' at Tiffania and hesitantly reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder. "You okay?" he asked her softly.

"Hm? Oh, yeah. It just seems like…everything's going in a downward spiral," she told him. "Have you spoken to Flame lately?"

Cloud winced at the question, and looked over at Zack, who was conversing with Aeris and Tseng. He remembered how Flame had sounded, so afraid… "No, not lately." He was lying through his teeth, and had a feeling Tiffania knew it.

But instead of accusing him of such a thing, she sighed and nodded. "All right."

Zack and Aeris came back over, and Cloud and Tiffania joined them. "You guys ready? It'll probably be a long time before we can get out of here."

The silence grew taut at the question, but everyone nodded in affirmation. They were all feeling uneasy and nervous about this place, but they all knew that they would have to continue onward regardless. They had to stop Sephiroth. Zack reached out and placed the Keystone in the large engraved hole, and a light the same color as the stone spread out among the . There was a sound, and then the four companions disappeared, none of them seeing Tseng weakly raise a hand in goodbye.

When the four of them came to the inner sanctum, they were all quite shocked at what awaited them. Zack's eyes were huge at the sheer amount of stairways and paths and arches there were, Tiffania was dazed, Cloud was shocked that he could see Lifestream curling so much it formed what appeared to be the maze that Zack had been seeing, and Aeris gasped and put a hand to her head. Instantly, everyone turned to her.

"Words... feelings... So many of them here," she whispered, closing her eyes briefly.

Tiffania looked at her 'brother'. "Zack, I have a feeling it's going to be pretty tough. But…we have to keep going. No turning back, like you said."

Zack nodded. "None of us can give up, not now," he said.

"We can do it," Cloud agreed. "Let me handle this one."

Tiffania and Aeris gave him a confused look, but Zack knew what Cloud wanted to do. He nodded and let Cloud take the lead. "Take the lead, buddy," he told Cloud, who gave him a small, appreciative smile in return. With Cloud in the lead, they managed to follow an Ancient to a small, enclosed cave, where they took a brief rest, and then followed Cloud again to the next area.

"This…is really cliché," stated Tiffania as they watched the 'U' shaped boulders roll down the long pathway.

"No kidding," agreed Zack, shaking his head.

"Well, we have to get through this area to keep going!" declared Aeris. "So let's do it!" Aeris took the lead this time, and they all joined hands, ducking underneath the boulders when the 'U' part formed a roof above them, and following the 'U' when the next boulder seemed ready to crush them. They scampered around for a good hour, more than likely - who knew in a place like this? - before they finally made it to the other side. The Ancient they had followed lifted his hands and the boulders suddenly stopped. Tiffania bent forward, panting slightly as she rested her hands on her knees.

"Man, oh man," she panted. "Finally made it."

Zack wiped the fine perspiration off his forehead and looked at them all. "Everyone all right?" Everyone seemed all right, just a bit out of breath. Cloud kept rubbing at his eyes, and Tiffania seemed to be trying to hold back coughs, and Aeris… Aeris covered her mouth with her hands with a gasp and ran back to the middle area of the road, where a green vat-like thing was.

"Come quick!" she called back to them. It took her a few seconds to realize they weren't coming, just staring after her in confusion. She turned back to them and beckoned. "Hurry, this way!" Tiffania finally went forward and chased after her. Cloud and Zack followed soon after her, and the three of them peered into the vat of churning Lifestream, and Cloud hissed and backed away. Zack tossed him a worried look, before turning back when Aeris spoke again. "It's full of knowledge ...consciousness... a living soul... It's trying to say something." She leaned in further, and only Tiffania's restraining hand on her arm stopped her from plunging straight in. "I'm sorry, I don't understand." Aeris brows furrowed and she turned her head to better hear. "What? What is it? ...Danger? An evil...consciousness? ...show? You're going to show us?"

Suddenly, the three of them found themselves in a room full of hieroglyphics, with Tseng and Elena in front of them. "...What's going on?" Zack asked aloud, glancing around in confusion, wondering what happened, and where Cloud was.

"Wait!" Tiffania pointed as Tseng and Elena seemed to start to move from a paused state. "Look! It's showing us!"

"Tseng, what's this?" Elena asked, pointing at a strange, pyramid-looking thing floating above what seemed like an altar. "Can we find the Promised Land with this?"

Tseng looked over from where he had been examining the wall. "...I wonder." He glanced between the wall and the floating pyramid. "Anyway, we have to report to the President."

Elena nodded. "Be careful, Tseng," she said, before turning to go.

As she passed him, he reached out a hand and took her arm. "Hey Elena, how 'bout dinner after this job's over?" he asked her.

Elena's eyes suddenly shone with joy. "Th... Thank you very much. If I may be excused..." She pulled her arm out of his grip and exited the room.

Tseng chuckled softly at her retreating back before looking back up at the hieroglyphic-covered wall. "Is this the Promised Land?" He shook his head. "No, it can't be..." Suddenly, there was a flash and he shielded his eyes briefly, before looking over. "Sephiroth!"

Indeed, the familiar silver-haired swordsman stood before him. He smirked cruelly. "So you opened the door. Well done," he praised sarcastically.

"This place... what is it?" questioned Tseng, over his momentary shock.

Sephiroth chuckled and shook his head, mocking Tseng. "A lost treasure house of knowledge," he informed Tseng. "The wisdom of the Ancients... I am becoming one with the Planet."

"What do you mean?"

Sephiroth's eyes blazed. "You stupid fools. You have never even thought about it," he walked past Tseng to the floating pyramid, "all the spirit energy of this Planet. All its wisdom... knowledge... I will meld with it all. I will become one with it... it will become one with me."

"...you can do that?"

"The way……lies here." Suddenly, Sephiroth spun around, Masamune glinting in the firelight as he stab-slashed Tseng, who had been caught off-guard. He withdrew his sword and flicked off the , before looking up at the hieroglyphics. "Only awaits you all. But do not fear. For it is through that a new spirit energy is born. Soon, you will live again as a part of me."

There was another flash and what appeared to be another Sephiroth, visiting upon this vision like they were, turned to them. His eyes met Aeris', and he gave her a smile. Aeris winced and looked away, and suddenly they were surrounding the vat again.

"Did you see it?" she whispered, and Zack and Tiffania nodded, but she had meant the smile, and had a feeling only she had seen it.

"...Where is the room with the pictures on the walls?" Zack wondered aloud.

"Almost there." Tiffania's voice was distant as she looked toward the Ancient they had chased here.

Zack blinked at her, before walking over to Cloud, who had been patiently waiting for them. "C'mon, Spike. Up and at 'em." He extended a hand down, and Cloud raised his head, then took the hand and allowed Zack to pull him up from his sitting position.

"You were gone awhile," the blond stated.

Zack scratched the back of his head. "Wh-What do you mean? We couldn't have been gone that long."

"Is forty-five minutes long?"

"…" Zack turned away from him and Cloud smiled at his small victory. "Sephiroth is here, right?" Zack sounded a bit flustered. "No matter what he thinks, it's going to end here. This time, I'm taking him out!"

Tiffania turned to him and smiled. "All right! To the next room!" she cheered, completely oblivious to her space-out episode that had just occurred.

**Past the Clock and After Chasing the Ancient…**

When they entered through the previously locked door, the wall they saw across from them was a beacon.

"It's the room with the murals…" murmured Tiffania as they entered inside.

Zack looked around, then shouted, "Where are you! Sephiroth!"

"There!" Cloud had seen a glimmer of familiar Lifestream further in the room, and they turned and saw him standing there. Only, it wasn't him. It was actually what appeared to be Sephiroth of the past. Nonetheless, they approached him.

"So cold. I am always by your side. Come. Splendid. A treasure house of knowledge..." past-Sephiroth murmured.

Zack shook his head. "I don't understand what you're saying!"

"Look well," murmured Aeris softly, and the past-Sephiroth faded.

"At what!" Zack demanded.

"I am becoming one with the Planet," Sephiroth murmured, as another past-form of himself formed further in, and faded as they approached. By then, they were able to see the real one lounging against the altar with the floating pyramid. They approached him, and everyone but Cloud held out their weapons. "Soon... we will become one," he intoned, looking up at them.

"How do you intend to become one with the Planet?" asked Tiffania hesitantly, as if she dreaded the answer.

Sephiroth picked himself off the floor. "It's simple. Once the Planet is hurt, it gathers Spirit Energy to heal the injury. The amount of energy gathered depends on the size of the injury." He unsheathed Masamune and waved it about, intentionally not harming anyone. "...What would happen if there was an injury that threatened the very life of the Planet? Think how much energy would be gathered! Ha ha ha." He planted Masamune into the floor and looked to Aeris and Cloud. "And at the center of that injury, will be us three. All that boundless energy will be ours. By merging with all the energy of the Planet, we will become new life forms, a new existence. Melding with the Planet... we will cease to exist as we are now... Only to be reborn as Gods and Goddesses to rule over every soul."

Cloud and Aeris both stumbled back at the invitation, and Aeris lowered her newly-acquired Princess Guard. "An injury powerful enough to destroy the Planet?" She sounded as though she couldn't believe it. And Sephiroth…thinking she would so willingly do such a thing? "Injure... the Planet?" She couldn't stand what she was hearing, and clamped her hands over her ears to try to drown out Sephiroth's words as they jumbled about in her head. "No…no, I won't do it. I won't!"

Sephiroth seemed to be taking much pleasure in Aeris' struggle, and then raised a hand to the mural on Zack's left. "Behold the mural. The Ultimate Destructive Magic... Meteor."

Zack saw it, and then he turned to Sephiroth, violet eyes narrowed. "That'll never happen!" he declared.

And then, quite suddenly, Sephiroth was beside Cloud, his mouth to the blond's ear, as he whispered, "Wake up!"

Cloud let out a yell and shoved at Sephiroth, who only laughed and floated away. Cloud tried to give chase, but he suddenly stopped in front of the mural depicting Meteor's fall. He turned to it, and he began to shake.

Aeris fell to her knees as Zack and Tiffania ran to Cloud. "Cloud!" Zack called to him, but the blond didn't even twitch in response. He was facing the mural like a statue, a strange look on his face. He seemed…oddly calm.

But then his shoulders began to shake, and he bent his head, smiling, _laughing_. Zack and Tiffania stopped and stared at him in shock and surprise. "Ha ha ha... Black Materia. Ha ha ha... Call Meteor."

Tiffania's eyes widened as she stumbled back away from Cloud, reaching up and putting her hands over her ears. "St-Stop it, Cloud! Get a hold of yourself!" she nearly whimpered, shaking her head and stumbling further back from Cloud. Zack was the only who was able to watch Cloud grab his head and struggle for control without breaking down like the two females. He was damn close to, though. Finally, though, Cloud seemed to regain himself and stumbled to the side, where Zack suddenly was, holding him up.

"...Zack?" he whispered, as they made it over to Tiffania and Aeris, who were both still very shaken. "What happened?"

Zack shook his head. "...It's nothing so don't worry about it." He looked at Aeris and Tiffania. "Right, s? Nothing happened."

Aeris looked down and played with her bracelets. "Sephiroth, he…he got away," she mumbled.

Zack sighed. "Don't worry, Aer. I think I understand what he was saying." He looked at the mural, and at the large circle that appeared to be falling from the sky. "That's Meteor, isn't it?"

"I read about Meteor a long time ago," Tiffania told them, shakily standing and walking over. "Text said something like, '...Meteor must be magic.' "

"Like Sephiroth said," Aeris added.

" 'The Ultimate Destructive Magic, Meteor. It finds small drifting planets with its magic. And then collides with them.' " Tiffania shivered. "This Planet might get wiped out entirely..."

Suddenly, a roar tore through the room and reverberated along the walls. Zack wasn't the only one looking around, but he was the only one who called out, "Sephiroth!"

They all heard Sephiroth's laugh echo with the roar. "Ha ha ha… It is not me." And then the room began to shake, and they looked to their left, and from the wall a Red Dragon was barreling toward them. They all dodged out of the way, and then took out their weapons.

"Ice magic, you guys!" called Zack.

Aeris stood a bit back from the group and Cloud and Zack took up a protective stance in front of her. A green aura surrounded her, and she unleashed an Ice3 spell at the dragon. Zack and Tiffania, more on the front lines than Cloud and Aeris, hacked away at the dragon, dodging back when the tail or its claws came a bit close.

Cloud also tossed out an Ice3 spell. The Red Dragon emerged from the flurry of attacks alive, but weaving like a drunkard and decidedly worse off.

Aeris began to prepare another Ice3 spell. Confident that the dragon, which was now stumbling around with a weaving gait and dulled eyes, would no longer pose any serious harm to her, the three sword-wielders left their posts to launch more formidable assaults on the weakened monster.

Tiffania was the first to act, somersaulting up, one hand catching hold of one of the uneven ridges on the dragon's spine. The dragon, sensing her unwelcome presence, attempted to shake her off, but Tiffania secured her position by driving Arcana into the dragon's thick hide. It shrieked with more rage than pain and wriggled itself harder.

The ploy was only partly successful as she was unable to fully penetrate the thick skin. She was in a difficult position to drive the sword deeper as the 'ground' kept swaying beneath her feet. All she could do now was to grit her teeth and continue hanging on tightly to her sword.

Zack and Cloud were faring better. Since the lizard was fully occupied with shaking the off, it failed to notice the addition of two other intruders, who were rapidly scaling up the massive dragon from different sides. Catching hold of a few armored plates sticking out from the back leg, Zack leaned out and slashed the Nightbringer across the dragon's more exposed belly with the whole of his strength.

Hot fell in huge droplets from the wound, scalding him where they landed on his skin. Smoke rose from his clothes where the fell. He withdrew Nightbringer just as Cloud lunged in with Buster, and the drops became a veritable downpour of crimson fluid. Seizing the opportunity, Cloud and Zack bother shoved their hands deep within the gash and released a Freeze spell (Zack) and an Ice3 spell (Cloud).

As the spells blossomed to frigid life within the very guts of the dragon, Aeris' Ice3 spell, completed, took effect at almost the same time. The temperature lowered by several unbearable degrees, serving as a warning to the three sword-wielders, who leaped clear, landing on the ground in balls to reduce the risk of broken bones. Their foe, literally frozen dragon steak, landed with a huge crash that must have shaken the whole of the temple.

The three sword-wielders picked themselves off the ground, shaken and bruised but unhurt. They walked over to Aeris, who was admiring their handiwork. "Wow, I've never seen a combined Ice spell that strong before!" she exclaimed, a surprised expression on her face.

"I'm glad it's over." Tiffania sighed. Zack toed the still corpse of the fallen dinosaur. Even as they watched, the gigantic body was beginning to fade out of existence.

"Good work, everyone," he praised them, grimacing at his gut covered arm and covered self. He noticed Cloud was doing something similar. "Any sign of Sephiroth?"

Aeris shook her head. "No…he disappeared."

Zack headed over to where the floating pyramid was located, and the other three followed suit. "What is this?"

Tiffania leaned over him. "There's something written on it. B-L-A-C-K M-A-T-E-R-I-A," she spelled.

"Black Materia!" the others chorused, and then Aeris looked at Zack, who noticed Cloud was vigorously rubbing at his eyes now.

"What should we do, Zack?" the flower asked him.

"Take it," Zack said.

"Wait a minute," Tiffania stood in front of Zack with her hands spread. "Let Aeris ask first."

They looked at Aeris, who nodded. "All right." She closed her eyes, and meandered around. "I don't understand..." her voice grew soft with that, before her eyes popped open. "What? Really!" She turned to the others. "They said that the Temple itself is the Black Materia."

Tiffania whistled as Zack scratched the back of his head with his clean hand. "What do they mean?"

"So this whole building is the Black Materia?" Tiffania asked in awe. "Wow."

"This huge Temple? This is the Black Materia!" Zack also sounded shocked.

"Then no one could take it," Cloud stated, and Tiffania and Zack nodded in agreement.

"Well, it's very hard," Aeris contradicted. She walked over to the floating pyramid. "You see this is a device, which gets smaller each time you solve a puzzle. As the becomes smaller, you become smaller too. Until it's small enough to fit in the palm of your hand."

Zack nodded, understanding, and he smiled, punching his fist into his palm. "So, if we solve the puzzles, the Black Materia will get smaller and smaller and we can take it out?"

Aeris shook her head. "Not exactly. You can only answer the puzzles inside the Temple. So, anyone who solves the puzzle will be crushed by the Temple."

"Ingenious," breathed Tiffania. "So the Ancients didn't want dangerous magic to be taken out of the Temple so easily..."

Cloud shrugged. "Maybe it should just be left alone?" he ventured.

"No. We've got to think of a way to get it out." When he received disbelieving stares, he explained, "Because Sephiroth has lots of different flunkies. It's nothing to him to throw their lives away to get the Black Materia. This place isn't safe."

Tiffania put her hands on her hips. "So what are we going to do?" she asked.

"_Dude your telephone is ringing; dude your telephone is ringing; dude your telephone is ringing; pick it up. Dude your telephone is ringing; dude your telephone is ringing; dude your telephone is ringing; pick it up._"

There was silence as people listened to the ringtone, and they watched as Zack slowly pulled his cell phone from his pocket. Tiffania snorted and turned her head away. Zack sighed and answered. "This is Zack."

"Hi, Zack. This is Cait Sith. I overheard the whole story!" Zack gave the phone a disbelieving stare. "Don't forget about me. Everything you said makes perfect sense! You can use my stuffed body for the future of the Planet."

Zack grit his teeth and turned away from them. "We can't let Sephiroth get his hands on the Black Materia. And we can't let the Shinra get theirs on it either."

"But Zack," Cait Sith argued. "There's really nothing else you can do. Please trust me."

Zack sighed and drove the heel of his clean hand into his eye. "I guess we have no choice…"

"All righty then!" Cait Sith laughed through the phone. "Leave it all to me! Please hurry, you've got to get out of here! I'll be waiting at the exit!" He hung up, and Zack followed suit.

"Cait's going to give himself up. We have to go meet him at the exit."

The other three nodded, and they made their way back to the Clock Room, and directly across the hands to the exit at 12 o'clock. Immediately upon entering, Tiffania and Cloud both knew it was a bad idea. The room was lifting up and down, and they swore they could hear a heartbeat. Aeris and Zack continued to the door and Zack placed his hands on it, but immediately withdrew.

"It's warm... This isn't good..." Zack turned toward Cloud and Tiffania, both of whom were the only ones who could see (but only barely in Cloud's case) what had emerged from above the door.

"Er…Zack?" Cloud mumbled.

"Yeah Cloud?"

Tiffania pointed up. "Behind you."

Zack and Aeris looked at each other, before they turned and backpedaled to their companions, and they saw the Demon's Gate. Zack whistled, and they prepared to fight.

The battle took a lot longer than expected. There was no way to surround the great monster, and with its quick moves, Aeris was kept on constant healing time, until such when she was able to cast a Great Gospel on everyone. The battle went by quicker at that time, and they all breathed a sigh of relief when the Demon's Gate disappeared in a large amount of red.

Not soon after they won did Cait Sith burst through the doors, his big Mog body bouncing around joyfully. "Sorry to keep you waiting!" he apologized cheekily. "It's me! I'll handle the rest!" He walked forward. "Well, everyone... Take care of yourselves!"

"Cait…" Tiffania nudged Zack, who gave her a startled look. "Say something, Zack!"

"I'm no good at goodbyes!" he argued.

Cait Sith nodded. "Mmm, I understand. I feel the same too," he agreed. Zack tensed slightly and Tiffania gave him a surprised look.

"Ooh! I know! Why don't you read our fortunes?" Aeris asked.

Cait Sith brightened at that. "Say, that's right... I haven't done it in a while, huh?" Zack glanced away, remembering the last one Cait had predicted. It had yet to come true… "I'm so excited. Right or wrong, I'm still the same 'ol me. Now, what should I predict?"

Cloud smiled. "See how compatible Zack and Tifa are," he suggested, and Zack shot him a withering look as Tiffania and Aeris giggled.

"That'll cost ya. Exactly one date! Here I go!" Cait Sith started to dance around, before he produced the paper and read it. He turned away with a droop. "This isn't good. I can't say it. Poor Aeris."

Aeris smiled and laughed. "No, no, tell us! I promise we won't get mad!"

Cait Sith bounced up and turned around. "Is that so?" Aeris nodded. "Then I'll tell you. Looks good. They are perfect for each other! Tifa's star and Zack's star! They show a great future!" Cait Sith turned to Zack. "Zack, I'll be your matchmaker, preacher... I'll do whatever you want me to! You just call me when it all happens!" The little cat jumped off the Mog and ran to Zack, jumping up and giving the ex-SOLDIER a hug, whispering into his ear, "Thank you for believing in me, know that I was a spy." Zack nodded and let Cait Sith drop to the floor, where he hugged the others in turn and then went back to his Mog. "This is the final, final farewell!" He waved, then directed the Mog forward.

Together, Tiffania and Aeris ran forward, waving. "Good bye, Cait Sith!" called Tiffania.

"Be strong Cait Sith!" Aeris parted, and then slowly, they brought down their arms, and shared a knowing look with each other.

**With Cait Sith…**

_She told me to 'Be strong'. I feel so happy. _The Mog tripped and they fell forward, before getting up. Cait Sith glanced around._ What happened?_ He shrugged and continued on._ I can protect the Planet too! I'm kinda embarrassed..._ He came to the floating pyramid._ There's plenty of stuffed toys like my body around, but there's only one me! Don't forget me even if another Cait Sith comes along. Good bye, then! I guess I'm off to save the Planet..._

**Outside…**

It was twilight. The four of them paid witness to the transformation of the Temple into the Black Materia, and when the ground stopped shaking, they all approached what was left of the Temple, and looked down. "That's the Black Materia..." murmured Zack, pointing to the black orb that looked more like a diamond balancing precariously on its tip.

"Let's go down," Tiffania suggested, and they did just that. When everyone was in the bottom of the pit, Zack picked up the Black Materia, feeling it pulse in his hand. He turned to Aeris.

"Can you use it?" he asked her, but she shook her head.

"No, not right now at least," she told him. "You need great spiritual power to use it."

Zack bowed his head , before he saw, that Cloud's face was etched in complete recognition. "Whoa. What's wrong, Spike?"

"It was a trap…" he murmured.

"What?"

Cloud turned to them. "Zack, it was a trap! Sephiroth, he's been looking for this since we first went to the Gold Saucer!" Aeris, Tiffania, and Zack all looked baffled. Aeris didn't remember such a thing occurring. "When we went to find Aeris, Sephiroth was asking around for it! I think…I think he had this planned out. Or, at least, me being here planned out. That's why he only asked about it when I was around."

Tiffania shook her head. "No, no Cloud, you aren't serious. Calm down, please." Cloud was bordering on the edge of hyperventilation.

"Oh, but he's right." There was a flash, and they looked up to see Sephiroth floating above them. "For a blond, he certainly is perceptive. Though it should've taken him a bit longer to have figured it out." The ex-General shrugged. "Oh well, I suppose beggars can't be choosers."

Aeris stepped forward, her eyes narrowed into a glare at Sephiroth. "No! I won't let you do this, Sephiroth! The world is not yours to control!"

"And neither is the future!" joined Tiffania, stepping up beside Aeris. Zack unsheathed Nightbringer in case Sephiroth tried anything.

But the ex-General merely laughed at them. "Hmmn, I wonder…" He swooped down beside Cloud again. "Wake up," he whispered to the blond.

Suddenly, loud white noise filled up Zack's ears, and he dropped the Black Materia and the Nightbringer to clamp his hands over his ears. "The noise…" he moaned, and succumbed to blackness. He wasn't the only one. Tiffania and Aeris also collapsed with their hands over their ears, and gave in as well. Cloud was the only one unaffected, as his face took on that utterly calm look and he stepped forward to scoop up the Black Materia.

"There, Cloud, good boy," praised Sephiroth, running his hand gently through blond spikes as he took the Black Materia away from the blond. "Well done." Sephiroth disappeared, leaving Cloud to only crumple and faint.

It was a few hours later, in the time of evening when everything is a beautiful shade of blue, that they woke up. Cloud was the only one still out, and Zack, Tiffania, and Aeris set about making a small campfire. "Are we really that weak?" whispered Zack as they warmed up. "This was the first time Sephiroth pulled that on all of us. Are we really so weak that we couldn't overcome it?"

Tiffania reached over and squeezed his shoulder. "Zack, be strong, okay?" she whispered, but her heart was not in it, her mind was far away. It appeared the same way for Aeris, who had her arms around her knees and was rocking back and forth, her eyes glazed over as she stared at their fire.

Zack drove his hands into his eyes and sighed heavily. "What have I done!" he half-shouted.

It was enough to bring Tiffania to the present. "Zack, you haven't done anything wrong. We were all incapacitated."

But Zack didn't hear any of it. It was instantaneous, he went berserk and lunged at Tiffania, who let out a cry of shock that was cut off as the first blow connected. Aeris saw what was going on and was on her feet in a second.

"Zack! What are you doing? Stop it!" She ran around the fire and tried to pull the distraught man off their friend, who wasn't even trying to block, too preoccupied with trying to stay conscious to do much else. "Please, stop!" Aeris sobbed, holding onto Zack with all her might.

"Oops! This looks like I came at a bad time! I'm Cait Sith No. 2! Right pleased to meet you all!"

Aeris summoned the Princess Guard, and slammed it down on Zack's head. Almost instantly, he collapsed and she drew him, with difficulty, off Tiffania, and went to heal the .

"Tonight. We have to leave tonight."

**Zack's Dreams…**

Everything is white... What did I do? I don't remember anything... My memory... since when...? If everything's a dream, don't wake me.

_"Hey, can you hear me?" It was Tiffania. Suddenly, the scenery changed, and he saw her standing alone inside of a forest._

"Tiff?"_ She smiled and nodded. _"I'm sorry about what I did."

_"Don't be. I can understand where you're coming from." She turned and walked behind one of the trees._

"I couldn't control myself."

_"Then shouldn't you be really worried about it?" Aeris walked out from the tree Tiffania had disappeared behind. "Don't have a breakdown, all right?" She faded out._

"What is this place?"

_Tiffania swung down from a branch. "The Sleeping Forest. It leads to the City of the Ancients on the Northern Continent."_

_Aeris swung down from a different branch. "It's only a matter of time before Sephiroth uses Meteor. That's why we're going to protect it. Only a survivor of the Cetra, like us, can do it."_

"So Tiffania IS an Ancient?"

_"Messenger of the Ancients," Tiffania shrugged. "There are only two of us, and the other is...gone. All I have to do is help relate Aeris' message to the deceased one, and he'll go from there."_

"Yeah, but…"

_Aeris and Tiffania faded, and then all three of them floated down from above, landing gracefully. "The secret is just up ahead," Aeris told Zack. "At least, it should be."_

_"Flame's calling us there, and so we must go." Tiffania turned away, but then looked back at Zack and smiled. "Don't worry about us. We'll come back."_

_Aeris smiled, too. "When it's all over. We'll come back." She turned, and then the two of them ran off._

"Wait!" _Zack felt a pit open in his stomach as they began to shrink in size due to distance. _"Please, wait! Why can't we go with you?"_ He attempted to run after them, but he could only run in place. _"NO! Tiffania! Aeris! Come back!"_ They ran through the white portal at the end and disappeared out of sight. Zack stopped running, and lowered his hand. _"Why do I get the feeling…that I'll never see you again…?"

**_"They'll be difficult, won't they? We must stop the both of them."_**

**~END:** So now there's only one chapter left in Part I, before the Big Move. Do you guys think you're ready? I certainly am, because the end of this fic is on the horizon (which is always far away hnng). Rather, I'm outlining the final parts, and I think you guys will enjoy what happens.

I'll be updating the end of Part I on Thursday, after the last day of school. Seems fitting, no?

Chapters left until Big Move to deviantART: 1

Next time: The City of the Ancients, and the end of Part I! Stay tuned!

rEvIeW yOu WoRm BaBiEs YoU!


	19. Part I: Chapter Eighteen

Blind Soul  
By BlueFox

**~INTRO:** Well, this is it. The final chapter of Part I! Wow…it certainly has taken me awhile to get to this point, huh? *shifty eyes* Well, anyway, I'll see you after the chapter!

**~ABOUT FLAMES**: If you decide to flame this story because of the few OCs in it, or for some other reason, it will be commented on, and laughed at publicly. You've been warned.

**~DISCLAIMER:** (insert favorite one here)

* * *

Part I  
Chapter Eighteen

_"If you love me, then let go of me."_

* * *

"Wait!" _Zack felt a pit open in his stomach as they began to shrink in size due to distance. _"Please, wait! Why can't we go with you?"_ He attempted to run after them, but he could only run in place. _"NO! Tiffania! Aeris! Come back!"_ They ran through the white portal at the end and disappeared out of sight. Zack stopped running, and lowered his hand. _"Why do I get the feeling…that I'll never see you again…?"

**_"They'll be difficult, won't they? We must stop the both of them."_**

Zack's violet eyes shot open and he sat straight up, so fast he almost gave himself whiplash. Tifa let out a light squeak and jumped back, and Barret looked up from where he had been sitting at the table. Zack looked around…he recognized this place…

It was his room at Gongaga.

"Zack?" Tifa's voice asked softly from beside him, and he looked at her. "You looked like you were having a nightmare. Are you all right?"

Zack reached up and put his hand on his forehead. "I think so," he mumbled.

Barret let out a breath. "That's good. Man, I didn't know what was gonna happen." He shook his head.

Tifa played with her hair. "You know, Zack. Tiffania and Aeris are gone."

Zack's eyes widened and he gave her a shocked look. The dream was real? No! It couldn't have been! "Are you sure?" he asked her, his voice raising in pitch.

Barret nodded. "Everyone's out lookin' for 'em."

Zack swung his feet onto the floor and put his head in his hands. "City of the Ancients," he told them, his voice drenched in despair. "They're headed there."

"By themselves!" Barret looked outraged. "Why did they go by themselves!" he took a deep breath and calmed down. "Hey, we're goin' too."

But Zack didn't seem to be listening. For the first time in a long time, he felt so lost. "Only the Ancients, only Tiffania and Aeris can save us from the Meteor..." he intoned.

Tifa stood up and put her hands on her hips. "Then we must go. What'll we do if something happens to them? If Sephiroth finds them, they'll be in trouble."

Zack could feel the despair creeping up from his stomach. "Sephiroth already knows."

Barret stamped his large foot. "Hey! Why are you still sittin' around?" he demanded.

"Let's go, Zack," Tifa said softly, putting a hand on his head.

But he shook his head. "No. If Cloud comes… If he's there…I won't be able to do…anything to stop Sephiroth." He sounded so lost…

Tifa's eyes softened in sympathy, but Barret didn't sympathize. "Pfft! Yeah, goddammit! It's 'cuz of you that Sephiroth got the Black Materia in the first place. It's your damn fault!"

"My…fault?" Zack looked down at his hands, and Tifa sent a glare Barret's way, but the gunman kept talking.

"I know you got problems... hell, we all do. But you don't ever understand yourself. But you gotta understand that there ain't no gettin' offa this train we're on, till we get to the end of the line."

Tifa looked back at Zack and ran her hands through his spikes. "Zack, we came this far... Aren't you going to settle up with Sephiroth?" she whispered.

A shudder ran through his body. "No... I'm afraid," he admitted. "If this keeps up, I may go crazy!" He put his head back in his hands. "I've never been so scared before in my life." _Never…_

Barret turned toward the door. "Just a damn jackass, that's what you are..." He put his hand on the doorknob. "Yo, jes' think about it... How many people in this world do ya think really understand themselves? People get depressed in life because they don't know what's up. But, they go on living. They don't run away... Isn't that how it is?" He opened the door and exited.

Tifa leaned forward and planted a kiss on Zack's head. "Zack... you'll come with us, right? I believe in you." She stood up and followed Barret out, closing the door behind her.

Zack drew his fingers along his face and stared at the adjacent wall. "What... am I supposed to do? Pull out of here? Pull out? To where?" He sighed. "I'm afraid to find out the truth? But why? Don't I already know?" Zack stood and exited out of his room. The rest of the house was dark, it must have been either the middle of the night or near dawn. He quietly went to the pole and slid down it to the lower level, and made his way quickly to the front door. He took a long look inside first. Somehow, he had a feeling he wouldn't be seeing Gongaga for a long time…

He stepped out of the house, only to see Tifa and Barret, and the rest of AVALANCHE, waiting for him. He faced them with a grave look on his face.

"Hey, how are you?" greeted Barret. "I just wanna know, which is it gonna be? You wanna find out about yourself? Or are you afraid to find out?" Zack opened his mouth to answer, but was silenced by Barret. "Either way, you stay around here and about all you can do is worry about it. Even if you do go nuts again when you an' Cloud see Sephiroth... If it happens, it happens. I'll go upside your spikey head and bring you back to normal!"

Zack closed his mouth and felt a smile coming, but didn't have the courage to put it on. Tifa took his hand and gave it a squeeze. "Zack, it'll be all right. We're all with you," she reassured him. "Cloud, Barret, me, Yuffie, Nanaki, Cait Sith, Cid, Vincent, all of us."

"But…"

Barret sighed. "If it happens, it happens. Don't worry 'bout it."

Zack looked at him, and Tifa saw a spark of the old Zack coming back to light in those violet depths. "You're…right. …He's right, isn't he?" Everyone nodded, and Barret looked proud.

"Come on, let's go and find them...?" asked Tifa.

Everyone boarded the Tiny Bronco, and Zack took to driving the plane through the water all around the shallow waters of the continents, all day from dawn to late afternoon, before they came to the Northern Continent. He parked it on the beach, and they all set off in silence, entering the village in the middle of the trees. The Bone Village.

Almost immediately upon entering, a worker in purple walked up to them. "Welcome to the Bone Village, a place welcome to all diggers at heart. Whaddaya need?"

"Did two s come through here?" asked Zack.

"Are you Zack Fair?" replied the worker, and Zack nodded. "Yes, they came through here. In fact, they left something for you." The man disappeared into his tent, then came back out with a little silver and light green harp. He held it out to Zack. "This's called a Lunar Harp. That's what you need to get through the forest just beyond here."

"They knew we would follow them…" murmured Cloud.

"Thank you very much." Tifa bowed. Zack held it gingerly, as though holding it any tighter would break it. He was the last to go up the ladder in the Village, going up only after passing the Harp onto Cid up top, albeit hesitantly. When they came to the top, Zack led them into the forest.

Once inside, he held out the harp, and ran his fingers across it. A gentle sound filled the forest, and everyone closed their eyes in comfort as the soft melody rang and reverberated across the trees, which seemed to turn white and glow with their own luminescence. Something told Zack that meant the Sleeping Forest was awake, and it was confirmed when the white light from his dream appeared at the end of the pathway.

"All right then. Let's go."

**The City Awaits…**

"Wow, it's so pretty…" murmured Tifa as they gazed at the conch-shell like city they had come upon.

"Is this…the City of the Ancients?" Vincent murmured, and Zack nodded.

"It must be," he said. He pointed down the right path. "We'll start down there, and work our way to the left side of the city." He swept his hand across the city. They started along the road to the right, and spread out to explore, to hopefully find Aeris or Tiffania somewhere. Zack was with Tifa, Cloud, and Vincent when he found it.

"Aeris' staff…" He picked up the Princess Guard, then turned to the others. "She's been here." He looked at Vincent. "Would you mind getting the others? We're staying here for the night. Maybe they'll come back here." Vincent nodded, and was gone.

They waited until late in the night, telling stories and eating some of their provisions, each of them taking turns keeping watch. It was during Cloud's watch that it happened.

_'Cloud!'_

Cloud was jerked out of his half-doze upon hearing Flame's voice. _Flame? Flame? What is it?_

_'Hurry…altar…Seph…..a…..go!'_ It was all Cloud could catch before Flame went silent altogether. But why? He was where he needed to be, right? What would stop Flame from talking to him?

Was it because of Zack? Did they…have negative effects on each other?

"Cloud?" Cloud jumped and turned to see Zack's glowing eyes looking down at him. "What's wrong?"

Cloud stood up and carefully 'looked' at Zack. "Sephiroth."

"What?" Yuffie came over. "He wasn't invited!"

"How do you know?" came Tifa's voice from farther in.

"Flame told me," he said to Zack, who understood. Yuffie just looked confused.

"Whose Flame?" she asked.

"Well, whatever! We'd better get offa our asses and go!" declared Barret. So, everyone was woken up, and Cloud was allowed to take the lead through Zack, because his 'sight' was still a secret from everyone. They all went down the main path, through the glowing blue archways, and down the stairs. The stairs were long, and they led to a crystal-encased city.

The Forgotten Capital.

Down, down, down they went, until they came to the Capital itself, its main attraction was a crystal covered altar in the middle. And at the altar was…

"Aeris?"

Zack walked forward, and no one made a move to follow. Slowly, almost as if in a daze, he ascended the platforms leading to the altar, and then the stairs to where Aeris was. He swallowed to wet his suddenly dry throat, and tried to ignore how his fingers were tingling. Something about this scene just seemed _so wrong._

_Feels like the weight of the world  
Like god in heaven gave me to  
Don't cling to me  
I swear I can't beat you_

But still, Zack was relieved the Aeris appeared to be all right. "Aeris," he breathed. "We made it."

_Still in the dark,  
can you fix me?_

Slowly, Aeris' emerald green eyes opened, and she lifted her head. Looking up, she met Zack's gaze. Her eyes softened, and she smiled. Zack could see the message in her eyes. _I did it, Zack. I did it. I saved our world._ He smiled at her, and then _he_ came.

_Freefall, freefall  
All through life_

He dropped from the ceiling, the light flashing off the blade of Masamune. And when Zack saw him, it was too little, too late. Masamune went through Aeris smoothly, in an almost-instant kill, and her hands fell open, her body slumped forward, her lips parted in surprise.

_If you love me,  
then let go of me.  
I won't be held down  
Believe in who I used to be  
This is nothing to me_

Zack heard his heart in his ears, he was sure that was the only thing he could hear. Sephiroth slowly drew Masamune from Aeris' body, and Zack watched in horror as the flowered across her front, not unlike what Tseng's had done. The pink ribbon in her braid, the one he had bought her for their one-day anniversary, fell limply to the ground, and the little white materia she had there fell, and clinked across the floor, before falling into the depths of the waters below.

_Feels like the weight of the world  
like all my screaming has gone on home.  
And oh,  
I know you don't believe in me_

Aeris' eyes moved and locked with Sephiroth's, and a trickle of escaped her mouth as she smiled. Sephiroth looked shocked at her smile, but then her eyes fluttered shut and the effect was gone. Almost mutely, Zack opened his arms and embraced the fallen flower . "Aeris, Aeris, Aeris," he whispered, like a mantra. "This can't be real, this can't be real." He buried his head in her soft brown hair and sobbed, the tears he'd held back for so long coming forth. "No, no, no. I don't want to think…that you won't smile, or yell, or cry, or breathe again… Aeris, Aeris, please no."

_Safe in the dark  
oh can't you see?_

Sephiroth said nothing, only floated up off the ground and flew off, and the rest of AVALANCHE ran forward to where Zack was starting to rock with Aeris in his lap, unheeding of the he was getting on himself. Tifa was the first to step forward. She reached out and ran a hand through both Zack's hair, and along Aeris' bangs, before placing a kiss on Zack's forehead and standing. She hid a sob behind her hand and left the altar. Cid came forward next, and he just looked to the ceiling, taking in a deep breath and letting it out bitterly. After Cid went Nanaki, who licked Aeris' face tenderly, before sitting back to howl in respect for Aeris' passing, and all she had done for them before that. After Nanaki left, Yuffie came forward on trembling legs, and she whispered her goodbye, before burst into tears and ran off. Vincent, just stood in front of the pair and bowed his head in respect, before following Yuffie. Cait Sith fell forward on his Mog, and said goodbye, before he hopped off, and Barret gave his regards, too. Finally, came Cloud.

_Freefall, freefall  
all through life._

"I love you, Aeris," he whispered, planting a kiss on her forehead, before he helped Zack arrange her body so she had her hands folded over her gruesome wound. She was still smiling, and left her like that. Zack had been smiling when he died… For a second, he hoped the Cetra would revive her, as well, but then he got the feeling that wouldn't happen, that unlike him, she fulfilled her purpose before she died. Together, the two friends carried Aeris down the steps from the altar and headed over to where AVALANCHE was surrounding the lake around the Capital.

_If you love me,  
then let go of me.  
I won't be held down.  
Believe who I used to be._

Slowly, Zack waded into the pool, holding the slightly-warm-but-fading-fast body gently in his arms. He leaned his temple against her forehead and closed his eyes, letting only a few more tears escape his lids, before he lowered her into the water.

_If you love me  
then let go of me.  
I won't be held down.  
Believe who I was_

Down in the water, as Zack stepped back, Aeris' braid separated from itself, her hair gently butterflying around her, as her arms, moved away from her abdomen, and the smile never left her face. But…all of the , and the wound itself…disappeared…

_If you love me  
then let go of me.  
I won't be held down.  
Believe who I used to be…_

"Everyone, listen to me." Everyone looked up from where they were in the room, all of them quietly as their leader spoke. "I'm Zack, ex-SOLDIER, born in Gongaga. I came to settle up with Sephiroth."

"I heard that before," muttered Cid.

Zack continued. "There's something inside of me. A person who is not really me." He took a deep breath. "That's why I should quit this journey. Before I do something terrible." He turned to them from where he had been gazing out of the window. "But I am going. He destroyed Cloud's hometown five years ago, killed Aeris, and is now trying to destroy the Planet. I'll never forgive... Sephiroth. I... I must go on." Slowly, Zack continued, "I have a favor to ask of you. Will you all come with me? To save me from doing something terrible."

"Sure! You can count on us!" Yuffie assured him. Zack smiled at her.

"I don't know how Aeris tried to save the Planet from the Meteor. And Tiffania…I don't know if Sephiroth got to her first or not." Everyone exchanged glances. It was easy to tell they hoped not. "As for how they tried or are trying to save the planet, we'll never know." A heavy silence fell on them. "But! We still have a chance. We must get that Black Materia back before Sephiroth uses it." One by one, everyone nodded. Zack nodded last. "All right then. Let's go."

* * *

**~END:** *sniffle* Awgh, that was a touching chapter! I think so. I felt the tears coming as I was typing it. *sniff, sniff* And so, Part I ends just like Disc 1, only Zack's there. And where's Tiff? What happened to her? Is she…dead? Is _Aeris_ really ? That'll all be revealed later on. And the song I used? Evanescence's _Weight of the World_ from 'The Open Door' album. The lyrics matched perfectly, if you ask me.

And since I don't want to do a huge big list at the end, here are the Part I quotes:

Prologue  
_"Ja ne."_ –various

Chapter I  
_"We don't have time for a Q&A."_ –Axel, Kingdom Hearts II

Chapter II  
_"It's like they all have just vanished, but I know they're around."_ –Within Temptation, The Howling

Chapter III  
_"I don't know what's worth fighting for, or why I have to scream."_ –Linkin Park, Breaking the Habit

Chapter IV  
_"Where have you gone my feather light heart?"_ –Narnia, Where

Chapter V  
_"Come on just feel it; Don't you see it?"_ –Within Temptation, Frozen

Chapter VI  
_"Wait, you mean 'we', right? You aren't going in there alone."_ –Cliff Fittir, Star Ocean: Till the End of Time

Chapter VII  
_"Sometimes I really don't know what's going on."_ –various

Chapter VIII  
_"You don't have to fear."_ –various

Chapter IX  
_"My Life Needs a Do-Over"_ –Chapter One of _Once More With Feeling!_ a fic by SherahSherada

Chapter X  
_"Don't tear me down."_ –Within Temptation, All I Need

Chapter XI  
_"Make it all worthwhile."_ –Aly & AJ, On the Ride

Chapter XII  
_"I don't want to leave the comfort of this place."_ –Creed, Higher

Chapter XIII  
_"And I believed, I believed."_ –Within Temptation, The Promise

Chapter XIV  
_"To be alone in this world is a fate far worse than ."_ –Sephiroth result, my CC Quizilla quiz

Chapter XV  
_"ANGER is one letter short of DANGER."_ –unknown

Chapter XVI  
_"You saw me mourning my love for you, and touched my hand."_ –Evanscence, Taking Over me

Chapter XVII  
_"I feel the hands of fate, they're suffocating."_ –Within Temptation, Final Destination

Chapter XVIII  
_"If you love me, then let go of me."_ –Evanescence, Weight of the World

Starting June 15, you can find Blind Soul on deviantART. Peace out!

~BlueFox~


	20. Part II is Posted! Go Look!

H'okay, everyone, maybe you were all waiting for a notice to be posted, so here it is:

Chapter Nineteen of Blind Soul, AKA the beginning of Part II, HAS BEEN POSTED ON DEVIANTART. The link is at the top of my ffnet profile, so make sure you all head over there to read, and PM your reviews here or comment there. Or both.

Hope you enjoy it, and I can't wait to see your reactions to the chapter... *evil cackle*

~BlueFox~


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